Fifteen years later...
Zaka sat in a tree watching the nearby pack interact with each other. Since the explosion of power that was the end of the sufferer many years ago, she jumped around the world not sure where to live her life and call home. However, after years of traveling and seeing the remains of the world that was once the modern world, she returned to what used to be the United States and travelled around, trying to find her place.
She made friends along the way, of course. The centaurs were friendly, but disliked her because of her wings. She enjoyed flying along them, especially her friend Alaska who did not mind her hanging out with them. However, after a couple of months, she grew restless and moved on, promising her dark and intelligent friend that she would return.
The dragons were nice too. They accepted her flying around them, but she got tired of recovering from the random burns when they got spooked or too excited. She stayed with them shortly.
Zaka found the packs of weres to be the best match for her. Her own fellow sufferers were annoying and assholes most of the time, so she did not bother hanging out with them. Since the incident, roughly fifteen years ago with the large sufferer trying to take slaves, she never fit in with them.
All she remembered from that night was the green eyes of the midnight black pup that she caught eyes with before she exploded in a ball of light. A connection was formed during that explosion and she was not sure what to think about it.
While other creatures had random family units and sometimes lived distantly apart, the weres were warm and loving. They always took care of their young and raised large families. They mourned the dead and found love and happiness. Plus some packs didn't mind her dropping from the sky randomly for dinner.
One pack was her favorite, the McCloud clan. They always set a place for her just in case she dropped by. There was a running joke that she looked for her spot before diving now since she managed to once dive and land in her seat perfectly from 300 feet plus. Now it was expected for her to try every time. The young pups were wonderful and amazed by her wings, always following her around and shrieking when she would grab one and fly off, pretending to eat them.
She got along with everyone. The women liked her for her artistic side while she was a good hunter with the men. However, there was only one awkward spot in the group: him.
He was in line to become the next alpha of the group, meaning he was always busy and learning. All the single girls tried to get his attention but he was stuck on her. The deep wanting look in his eyes was too much when she saw him, so she avoided him at all costs. It seemed to be a game to him. He always took time to find her and stare. The pack was used to it.
He was there to see her legendary explosion of light. While everyone else felt warmth and general happiness, he felt something else. He told her told her to age eight that he loved her and would mate with her. She laughed it off as a childhood thing.
He remained persistent though. Following her to the woods, running under her while she flew, always carrying a treat for her or flowers. He was dedicated. Zaka smiled thinking of all the things he did for her over the years.
Especially at his 21st birthday.
It was a human tradition, but weres celebrated anyways. The weres over 21 insisted on throwing a party and getting drunk. Technically, there was no age limit since the governments all dissolved but old traditions die hard. The bonfire was huge with most of the young singles of the pack together.
Young wolves chased each other around, acting silly and being laid left and right. Zaka had been invited but refrained from the public sex. Instead, she sat and talked with friends less insane than others about life. Her wings kept her warm and the fire helped. She did not really need to wrap up in her wings but she felt more comfortable. In addition, it was an old habit.
She was talking about a recent trip to the east coast when he showed up. All 200 pounds of muscle and alpha in the form of Zack. God. She knew when he was there immediately. It was hard to miss him in the crowd, especially since the single girls and the men started greeting him loudly and coming up to him to wish him a happy birthday. The girls practically drooled over him while the men smacked him on the back. She should have left then. It was getting late and she needed to find a safe tree to sleep in. The pack offered her a cabin all the time, but she preferred the open air in case of emergency. It was easier to open her wings than in a tight place with four walls on it and a ceiling.
However, she did not. She decided to wish Zack a happy birthday and grab another drink. The party was slightly awkward for her, especially with the public sex randomly, but she wanted to be social and hang with her friends more before turning in. Zack saw her and locked eyes with her quickly. She could not look away from his stunning green eyes and did not miss the wanton look of lust that he sent her way. She stopped for a moment, unsure of what to do. She knew he could take her if he wanted; he was much bigger than she was. However, he would never do that, at least she thought.