Call of the Wild

2 *~ opening night

A/N: There wasn't a lot of lore happening in the movies, just a few mentions here and there so I really had to dive in and make up a ton of stuff. The pack is called the Mountain Clan, they are a mix of Alaskan, Pacific Northwest, and Puebloan Native Americans in terms of clothing and decor; their Den and the Celestial Alcove, as well as other housing around the mountain, are based on Puebloan cliff dwellings (Manitou and Mesa Verde) and Son Doong Cave(pictured), specifically for the Celestial Alcove.

Also, I changed Moonstone to Heartstone, calling the big stone and the necklaces the same thing was bugging me. 

*~

When Addison entered the Den, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders that she hadn't known had been there for over a year. She had been invited over by Willa and Wynter many times since Wyatt had left but without him, it was lonely and she would find herself looking around to spot that cheeky grin of his or turn her head to whisper something silly to him. The realization that he was really gone had been too much for her to feel comfortable there anymore. So she'd cut herself off and retreated back to Seabrook, to college, to Zed.

But now, with Wyatt pulling her through a crowd of young werewolves and into the warm-lit Den, it felt different, better, like she was finally home. Strange how one person could make such a difference.

"We moved the Heartstone to its own alcove for the recharging," Wyatt said, plucking a cup out of another wolf's hands, then tossed it down his throat and handed back the empty cup. The werewolf only grumbled something rude, and Wyatt continued to lead her up the steps where the Moonstone had been the last time she'd visited. The raised platform was instead set up with a fire pit and a beautifully carved wooden bench where upon sat an amazing deer skull headdress with black feathers and brightly colored beads adorning it along the sides.

"Oh, that's Willa's. Pretty amazing, right?"

"Beautiful," Addison agreed, bending down to take a closer look.

"The deer skull has been passed down for hundreds of years. We refit it with new feathers and beads every couple of years."

"Will she be wearing it tonight?" Addison asked.

"No," Wyatt said, leading her towards a curtained-off alcove off to the side of the large firepit. "She'll wear it during rituals and the last week leading up to the Blue Moon. Actually, she should be in here with the Elders right now." He lifted his hand towards the curtain, then pulled it back. "Nah, she'll give me hell if I interrupt. Should be done soon, though, so we can wait here." He sat down on the closest step. Addison sat next to him, waving to a few wolves that called out to her.

"And then what will happen?"

"Well," he drawled, pointing to himself and then to her. "Since I'm the beta and you're the Great Alpha, we have the honor of recharging our Moonstones next, after Willa and the Elders. Can't say nepotism never got me nothing."

"And you're sure that's okay? That me being a part of this and..." Addison worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "No one's going to be upset that a human is being given... special privilege?" She hadn't met all of the pack members, and now that she took in the Den, she realized there were many she didn't recognize at all. The ones she had met though, she got along with fairly well, but she couldn't be certain that some of them didn't feel chuffed she'd been allowed to take part in their-well, their family business.

"No one's said anything to me," Wyatt said. Like any of the pack would. Addison could imagine how that would go over:

"Hmm." Addison settled back on her elbows, enjoying the cold breeze that blew into the cave. She looked around the Den, noticing a lot more werewolves than usually. "How many are in your pack?"