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Chapter Text

Ch. 1 - Asking for Trouble

The school van sped over the causeway. Overcast clouds darkened the horizon ahead like a bad dream. Tom glanced over at Shannon Kelly, who was doubled over and staring at the floor of the van. The tall, athletic boy nudged the ginger-haired girl with his elbow.

"Shan, what are you doing?"

Shan risked a look out the van windows, greeted by endless water on either side. She quickly lurched forward again, studying the floor.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Trying not to panic. You do realize that water comes in and covers this entire road, don't you? When the tide comes in…" She shuddered.

"Which is why Mr. Jeffries checked the tide tables. He's not stupid, Shan." Tom shook his head with disgust. "Can you not flip out? This is going to be amazing. School trip to the isle of Lindisfarne. That means Lindisfarne Castle! And you're seriously obsessing about a little roadside water. Shan, please…don't be neurotic."

"I am not neurotic," she growled. A few of their schoolmates looked towards her as she raised her voice. She quickly dialed it down a notch.

"Good, then you won't mind giving me some advice." Tom strained to see over his seat, catching a glimpse of Maddy in the very front. Normally she would've sat right near Tom and Shan, but for some reason she'd been extremely hyper lately. Especially this morning. She'd claimed the seat at the very front, muscling Jimi aside before the boy could protest and insisting that she had dibs on the view. At least she'd had the decency to give Tom and Shan an apologetic shrug.

Now Shan sat up only by forcing herself to, with clenched teeth. She looked at Tom. "Okay, what's this advice that's so important you have to ask me even though we might drown any moment now?"

Tom again peeked over the top of the next seat. He could just make out Maddy's cute face glued to the window as she looked out at the waves. She was literally bouncing up and down with excitement. Too much. She bounced a little too high, hitting her head on the overhead storage rack. With a yelp of pain Maddy clutched her head, but two seconds later all was forgotten and Maddy was again bouncing like a giddy little kid, staring at the outside world like it was about to become her own personal playground. What in the world's gotten into her? Tom seriously wanted to know what was up with Maddy, and he wasn't about to believe Shan's preposterous theory.

"Hello? Still waiting," Shan prodded.

"Yeah, yeah, keep your knickers on. Hey, you know I've always sort of fancied Mads. Right?"

Shan nodded slowly. "I guess I was distantly aware of it. Why…?"

Tom shrugged, risking another glance Maddy's way. "I don't know, I just thought… Fine, I'll just come right out with it." Tom rubbed his hands together, like he usually did right before football practice when he was looking forward to taking shots on goal. "I was thinking of telling Mads how I feel about her. Seeing, you know, if she might…" His voice trailed off, so Shan filled in the blank.

"So you can find out if she feels the same way about you?"

Tom shrugged, blushing a little. Sometimes he was thankful his skin tone could hide certain things. "I mean…yeah. Or if she would, you know, be willing to give it a shot." He elbowed her. "So…what do you think? You think I should tell her?"

Shan sat up in her seat, sufficiently distracted by Tom's conundrum that she temporarily forgot about her terror of being swallowed up by the tide. She ticked off on her dainty fingers as if she were going through a laundry list in her head. "Let's see. We have to think this through logically. Make a list of pros and cons in your head, and then if the pros outweigh the cons, go ahead and ask her."

Tom groaned.

"Shan, seriously. I'm not asking for help on my lab homework, yeah? I want some real advice."

Shan stiffened. "Tom Okanawe, don't speak to me like that. I am giving you real advice."

Tom groaned again, slightly softer than last time. The van jostled, and he held onto the seat in front of him as he watched Maddy go flying. His heart cringed as he saw Mads nearly smash her face into the window frame when the van lurched back the other way. The short little brunette hardly noticed, bracing her hands and staring greedily out the window like a kid at a chocolate factory.

"No, but Shan, I need real advice. If I could make a clinical list of reasons for or against, do you think I'd be asking for your help?"

"Well then, you'll just have to place the problem in my capable hands then, won't you? Let's start with the cons." Shan adjusted her plaid chartreuse sweater, typically un-stylish Shan. "First, Maddy may be some kind of creature, which means getting too close to her might put you in danger."

Tom threw Shan a long, devastating look. It said all he needed it to. Shan, she's our best friend! Shan wisely backed down.

"All right, all right! The only big con is that if she says no, it might make things weird between you two. On the plus side, you two have been friends since we were little, so you're probably safe. Even if she shoots you down, as long as you're prepared for the possibility of failure, you should be able to recover. Knowing Mads, she'll let bygones be bygones as long as you don't make things weird."

Tom clutched to the top of the seat in front of him as the van took another curve. "Fair enough, any other pros?"

"Of course. If she lets you get close to her, maybe you can prove once and for all whether she's some kind of beast." Tom's eyes turned to slits as Shan burst out laughing. "I was kidding, Tom. Please, you look like you're about to hurt me."

"The thought crossed my mind," Tom grumbled. "Shannon Kelly, for an amazingly good friend, sometimes you're no help at all. You know that?"

Shan grinned. "Yet still you put up with me. Tell you what, I'll make you a deal."

Tom rolled his eyes as Shan stuck out her fingers for a firm handshake. "I'll sound Maddy out on the idea of you…and her…and even help you ask her out. In return, you tell me if Mads does anything weird. If her eyes turn yellow, especially, I want to know about it. Okay?"

Tom shook his head as if he was suffering in the company of a delusional madwoman. "You are so strange, Shan. Fine." He took Shan's hand and shook it firmly. "You're on."

A Short While Later…

The van had pulled into a spot at the car park, with everyone piling out. "Guys, come on. You're so slow!" Maddy called. Tom gasped as Maddy raced up and leapt onto his back like an agile little monkey. Tom tripped, sprawling face-first on the asphalt as Mr. Jeffries and Ms. Derby's voices called in unison.

"Maddy, stop horsing around."

"As if a horse could even do what I just did," Maddy grumbled, helping Tom to his feet. Are you okay?" Tom was too aware of Maddy's scent as she pulled him up. Wisps of her hair flew about untidily with the wind, and he resisted the urge to tuck a few strands behind her ear.

"Um, yeah. Thanks Mads. What's gotten into you anyway?"

Maddy stretched her arms wide as if she were about to do jumping-jacks. "What's gotten INTO ME? We're on Lindisfarne, don't tell me you're not excited. She grabbed him by the front of the shirt and shook him. Tom slowly grinned.

"I get it, Mads. And yes, I'm pumped too. Promise."

"The sooner we get out of this cold, wet, dreary excuse for weather, the sooner we can see the interior of the castle and actually have some fun," Shan declared. "Are you two coming?"

Shan realized her mistake when Maddy grabbed one of each of their hands and tugged them along forcefully, much like a dog taking its owner for a walk. As Maddy catapulted into the lead past her schoolmates, Jeffries' strident voice could be heard trying to rein them in. Rarely had there been a more futile effort.

"Maddy Smith, slow down!" But the more frantic Mr. Jeffries' voice became, the more Maddy tugged away, until they were well ahead of the main group. Shan knew an opportunity when she saw one. She glanced back at Tom, tossing him a meaningful look.

"Tom, why don't you go back and talk to Mr. Jeffries, let him know we'll slow down and wait for the group so he doesn't lose his patience."

"Good idea," Maddy piped up, enfolding her hand in Shan's a little more tightly and dragging her best mate along.

Tom faded into the background as Shan walked ahead with Maddy. I have to be subtle about this...but how? How did you tell your best friend that your other mutual best friend had a huge crush on them and really fancied them? Shan bit her lip. Some psychologist needed to write a manual called 'How to Handle Really Awkward Social Situations.' Shan would totally buy it.

"Mads…can I ask you something personal, girlfriend to girlfriend?" Maddy glanced over at Shan, forehead furrowed.

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just—"

But before the ginger-haired girl could get out another word, Maddy whipped around, sniffing the air intently…almost as if she smelled danger. Shan tried to smell whatever it was that Maddy was smelling. She couldn't smell a thing.

Maddy's figure went taut, like the string of a bow right before it releases an arrow. "Shan, go back and meet up with the others. I need to check on something real quick."

The ginger-haired girl was about to protest when Maddy darted off. "Mads, what're you—?" It was too late, though. The girl had already vanished down one of the village side streets. Shan had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling.

Chapter Text

Ch. 2 - Uninvited      

There was no mistaking the smell of another wolfblood. Maddy's heartbeat surged from excited to thundering. So I'm not the only wolfblood on Lindisfarne...

Maddy followed her nose, and being a wolfblood it wasn't hard to do. She'd already decided that whoever this wolfblood was, he or she needed to know that she was here. When a wolfblood encroached on another wolfblood's territory, it was polite and proper to announce your presence as soon as possible. Failing to do that could cause…problems. So Maddy darted off, ignoring Shan's calls after her as she tracked the scent.

She rounded a corner into a dense garden tucked away between two buildings. Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, putting a hand over her mouth as she tried to cry out.

MEANWHILE…

What am I going to do? Maddy's just run off! Shan's heart sped up like a runaway train. This wasn't good. What was she going to tell Jeffries? As if her exact worries could summon all the disasters in the world, Shan swiveled around just in time to see Jeffries puffing over the rise, with Tom Okanawe right behind him.

"Shannon Kelly, get back with your schoolmates this instant. There will be no running off on my watch," Jeffries snapped. "When I tell you to stay with the group, I expect your cooperation. I'm responsible for all of you, and I take it very seriously. Is that clear?"

Shan was busily shaking her head up and down. "Yes, Sir. Completely, Sir."

Jeffries' eyes narrowed. "And where is Maddy Smith?" The frustration in his voice kept rising. Tom gave Shan a furious look and Shan tried not to look helpless as an idea bubbled up in her mind just in the nick of time.

"She's…she’s not feeling at all well, Sir. Maddy had to go find the loo. It was urgent."

Before Jeffries could reply, Tom butted in angrily. "Sir, I'll go find out where she went and bring her back straightaway, shall I?" Seeing from the annoyed look on Tom’s face that the boy was as miffed at Maddy's absence as he was, Jeffries gave his reluctant agreement.

"Very well. Here." He handed Tom a bottle of pink pills. "Tim Jeffries always comes prepared. Give these to Maddy when you see her, hopefully they should help. And tell her that she will be having a full afternoon of detention with me if she doesn't hurry back promptly once she's able. Understood?"

Tom took the bottle, tucked it away with a nod. "Clear as fair weather, Sir. I'll make sure she doesn't dawdle."

"Good. Now make sure you meet us at the head of the path leading up to the castle. We'll stop there for about a quarter hour to take pictures as I tell everyone a little about the history of the island."

Mr. Jeffries headed back to rejoin Ms. Derby, who was keeping the other students in line as they impatiently looked towards Lindisfarne Castle in the distance.

When Shan didn't follow, the history teacher turned around. "Shannon Kelly, did I stutter? Come along. It doesn't take two students to retrieve a single person, unless I'm sorely mistaken. Now, come along."

Shan turned to the side, ready to whisper to Tom as she followed a retreating Jeffries. Tom got the first word in.

"What the hell happened, Shan? What did you say to Maddy to make her run off?"

"I didn't say anything! Before I had time to broach the subject of you and Mads going out, she caught a whiff of something in the air. Then she acted all strange and just dashed away before I could stop her." Shan pointed down one of the side streets. "I'd hurry if I were you." That was the last thing Shan had time to say as she followed Jeffries' receding form.

Tom pressed his fingers to his temple. He wanted to shout in frustration. Gah! Why is Maddy acting like a complete idiot? I like her a lot…I want to see if she likes me too, but if she keeps acting so weird… Tom rushed down the street, trying to imagine what could have possessed the brunette to just go wandering off. His feet flew over the pavement as he whirled around the corner. A gust of wind off the ocean made the trees rustle in the garden he was about to pass. He stopped, peering to make sure his eyesight hadn't fooled him.

"Mads?" A petite girl was just standing there, frozen solid—like she'd seen a ghost with a knife. Tom skidded to a halt right in front of her.

"Mads? Hello? Are you all right? We need to get back to Jef—"

Tom stiffened in shock as Maddy threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. He hugged her right back.

"Mads, talk to me. Say something."

Maddy clung to him for a few more moments, then took a step back as Tom untangled his arms. She took a deep breath and tucked some wild strands of hair behind her ears.

"What happened?"

"Let's just go back to Jeffries. I don't want to talk about it." Tom folded his arms.

"Yeah, well that's too bad. I want to know why my best friend looked paler than the face of the moon just now. Seriously, Mads. Plus, just running off from Shan like that when you know it'll just piss Jeffries off and get us in trouble? Not cool, Mads. I'm not letting you out of this without some explanation."

Maddy gave him a helpless look. "I can't. Look, I thought I saw someone I knew," she mumbled. "He realized I was following him and he didn't like it." Tom's eyebrows scrunched up as he realized right away that she seemed awfully purposeful in her vagueness. There was something—a lot of somethings she wasn't telling him. The tall, lanky boy took Maddy's hands. Normally Tom wasn't all that into touch-feely stuff, but Maddy's frozen, fearful stance had really scared him.

"Maddy, look, you can tell me whatever's going on. I can tell you're holding back and it's just so frustrating to me because I really, really want to be a good friend. What are friends for if not someone you can place a little trust in, yeah? And how am I supposed to ask you out if you're being all weird and crazy?" Tom froze. Oh crap. Did I really just say that? He'd gotten caught up in the moment. Damn.

The pretty brunette cocked her head with a questioning look. "Wait. What?"

Tom drew his hands back and stuffed them in his pockets. He tried not to blush, not that it would be too noticeable if he did, but his awkward stance said it all. Totally, 100% busted.

"You were going to ask me out?"

Tom nodded sheepishly. "Hasn't Shan told you that I've always fancied you a bit?" Tom shrugged. "Okay, maybe more than a bit." Maddy just stood there, looking stunned, as if she were trying to absorb momentous news—but Tom crucially couldn't tell whether she considered it good news or bad news judging from the expression on her cute face.

"Mads…" With an act of courage Tom couldn't have mustered up if anyone else had been around, the boy took one of Maddy's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Are you going to leave me in suspense here?"

The girl's hazel-brown eyes were distant, calculating something, Tom wasn't sure what, but he would have given his right arm to know.

"You fancy me?" she said, disbelief still coloring her words. A faint blush rose to her cheeks, and Tom thought it made her look even prettier. He raised his hand to her face, stroking her cheek for just a second. Then the old Tom came back with a vengeance, the self-conscious schoolmate who kept all that gushy stuff in check. He pulled his hand back, stared at the ground, hands firmly stuffed back into his pockets.

"Yes, Mads. I really, really do. I care about you as more than a friend."

The truth was that Tom wasn’t sure how he felt about dating his best friend. He knew that Shan wanted him to spy on Mads, this whole ridiculous theory of Shan's that she was some kind of beast. But, to be honest, he didn't think he could do it. If Maddy said yes right now, if she decided to give him a chance, how could he repay that by going around behind her back and essentially betraying her trust? Now that the moment of asking Maddy to be his girlfriend had finally come—unplanned and awkward as it was—the thought of deceiving Maddy made his heart clench up. But she's clearly got secrets, mate. You feel it in your gut. Somehow, some way, if Maddy did say yes, he would get her to open up more—and somehow he’d have to make Shan keep her distance long enough to do it. That was the quick, secret promise he made to himself as he awaited Maddy’s answer.

"Tom. Look at me." Maddy reached out, tipping his chin upward. "Let's say I'm all right with being your girlfriend." Tom's heart did a somersault and then skipped ahead as if music were playing in the background. "We'll take it slow, though. I don't want to rush into anything."

Tom nodded eagerly. "Of course, Mads. We'll be like friends…with—"

"Don't even say it," Maddy gasped.

"—with a desire to be something more," Tom finished. "What did you think I was going to say?"

Maddy giggled, busting out with laughter as she backed away and covered her mouth. "I thought you were going to say benefits," she said with a grin as Tom felt himself blush all over again. Tom smacked himself on the forehead.  

"You are such an idiot," Maddy grinned. "But my answer is still yes."

"Oi, I see. So you find my idiocy endearing, huh?" Tom grumbled.

"Very," replied the girl as she put an arm through his and tugged him along back towards the direction they’d come from.

Through the second-story window of the house behind them, a wolfblood watched uneasily as Maddy disappeared around the corner. His thoughts were troubled. He was glad he hadn't hurt her—she only a cub after all. Still—what if she was lying? There were other wolfbloods hunting him, and they were close. The wolfblood cub, if she was smart, would get off the island as soon as she could. He'd warned her. Now the rest was up to her. It wouldn't be his fault if she got caught in the crossfire.

Chapter Text

Ch. 3 - Disaster Strikes

Lightning tore the world apart, creating flashes of mesmerizing color beyond the stained glass windows of Lindisfarne Castle. A visibly shaken Jeffries tried to maintain his composure and keep everyone calm as the class huddled together in the 'ship's room' as Maddy had named it in her head, thanks to the model ship which dangled from the ceiling. The castle tour had started out promising enough—Shan and Maddy gushing over all the cozy rooms filled with furniture and props that made the castle feel like a real home. But then the storm which was supposed to have passed the island by had abruptly changed its course.

The outside had gone from idyllic late afternoon to darkened underworld. Angry clouds blotted out the sun, the grass on the headlands started to bend under the ever-increasing winds, and from there the storm's fury had hit full-force. Jimi and his mates, even the three K's had still thought it was all pretty cool—until the power went out.

"Everyone stay calm. We are completely safe as long as—" A roar of thunder swallowed up Jeffries' words. He huddled up with Ms. Derby, discussing something for a moment. "Everyone, listen up. There's been a change of plans. Due to the unforeseen severity of the weather, it's almost certain that the causeway will be closed by the time we get back to the village. We will be staying on the island tonight. Ms. Derby will stay with you all while I go make arrangements for accommodations."

Maddy's heart sank. She snuggled up against Tom, who put his arm around her. No! I have to change tonight. I'm supposed to be with my family. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. Storm or not, the full moon tonight meant that she would have to change into her wolf for the very first time. Tonight was a special rite of passage, when she would no longer be a cub anymore, becoming a full-fledged wolfblood. And now, now she'd have no choice but to do it alone. She'd already tried to use her cell to call her parents, but there was no service—probably because of the damn storm.

To top it all off, the wolfblood who called himself Gerwyn, the one she'd tracked earlier, he'd told her that there were other wolfbloods hunting him, and that they might be on the island too. So what could she do? If she stayed with Tom and Shan, she'd transform right in front of them. But if she stole away to turn into her wolf, then she'd be forced to brave the storm, in the middle of the night, with all kinds of strange and maybe dangerous wolfbloods about. There really was no good answer!

Misinterpreting the anxiety on the brunette's face, Tom gently rubbed her shoulder. "It's all right, Mads. It's just a storm. Nothing we can't handle, yeah?"

Maddy nodded absently, lost in the thought which she still had no answer for.

What am I going to do?

TWO HOURS EARLIER…

Tom and Maddy walked back to rejoin the group at the head of the pathway to the castle, which also happened to overlook the beach. On their right the coastline stretched in a gentle curve with upside-down ships used as giant storage containers. Shan came rushing to meet them. Her eyes sparkled as she saw the ridiculously wide smile on Tom's face.

Tom mouthed the words She said yes! He and Shan exchanged secret grins. Of course this wasn't missed by Maddy.

"Oh, now what's this? Were you in on this, Shan? You knew Tom was going to ask me, didn'tya?" Maddy huffed.

Abruptly Tom spun Maddy around and kissed her. As their lips joined Maddy's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't that she hated it—but it didn't feel quite right either. She liked Tom as a good friend, but going from good friend to boyfriend was maybe more of a stretch than she could take. The kiss didn't take her breath away, it didn't make her knees go weak—it didn't even make her heart flutter. To be honest, it felt to her more like a kiss between friends than a romantic kiss, and that bothered her.

Maybe this whole dating Tom thing isn't such a good idea. She didn't have the heart to say as much as Tom drew back, looking the happiest she had ever seen him. "Mads, have I ever said how beautiful you look?"

Maddy blushed. Okay…maybe you need to stop this before it gets out of hand. "Tom, remember what we said about taking it slow?" Maddy's gaze darted around to make sure no one had seen their kiss besides Shan. "Next time you want to kiss me, maybe give me a little advanced notice, yeah?"

Tom nodded soberly. "Message received Mads." He entwined their hands and tugged her along, turning to talk to Shan. "So did we miss much?"

Shan rolled her eyes. "Besides Jeffries' horrific sense of humor? No." They caught up to the group as Jeffries' gaze alighted on Maddy.

"Ah, Maddy Smith, so nice of you to join us," Jeffries said. The three K's noted the way Tom and Maddy were holding hands. Caught red-handed, both teens yanked their hands apart at the same instant. "I trust you're feeling better now, Maddy?"

"Yes, Sir. Totally back to normal."

"Good, then let's proceed, shall we?" With the castle dominating the landscape, the students from Bradlington High followed their head teacher. As the castle loomed closer and closer, Maddy felt a prickle of anticipation. I'm about to see the inside of my first castle. This is going to be amazing! She was so gleeful that she easily ignored the ink-black smudges of storm-clouds on the horizon.

BACK TO THE PRESENT…

Rain and bouts of blinding lightning obscured everyone's vision as they made their way down the steep stone-cobbled ramp which led from Lindisfarne Castle's portcullis down to the pathway which would take them back to the village.

"Everyone watch your step," Ms. Derby called, struggling to be heard over the howling wind. Rain lashed at them from every angle. Jeffries waited at the bottom of the stone ramp with a flashlight, making sure that every student was accounted for as they made their way back. Poor Shan was shaking like a wet leaf. Maddy was gripping her hand tightly, and Tom stood on the other side of Mads so that all three friends were connected.

"One step at a time, Shan. Go as slow as you need to," Maddy coaxed.

The ginger-haired girl looked down at her feet, which slid easily on the slippery stone cobbles. "Whoever built this should be flogged and then shot."

Maddy smirked, knowing that anger was one of Shan's coping mechanisms when she got nervous or frightened. "Just keep hold of my hand and you won't go tumbling off the cliff."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Maddy said, giving Shan's hand a firm squeeze. The rest of the walk back to the village mostly involved Maddy reassuring Shan that the whole island wasn't going to be flooded under, and Shan staring out at the gigantic waves crashing against the shore and insisting to Maddy that no, really, the ocean was going to swallow them all up. Maddy continued to debate her friend, knowing it was an argument she couldn't win—after all, how did you defeat a person's irrational fears with words alone?—but Maddy was content to just keep Shan talking and distracted, which made her friend's fear manageable.

Finally, when they'd returned to the Crown and Anchor Inn, where Jeffries had arranged accommodations, Jeffries announced how the rooms would be divvied up and handed out the keys. Apparently power had gone out across the whole island. In the lobby and sitting area, a fire was roaring in the fireplace and candles had been lit here and there to give the place a comforting aura of light. With each crack of thunder the three K's jumped and Maddy smiled.

Shan and Maddy had their own room, whereas Tom had to share a room with Sam, one of Jimi's mates.

Jeffries had already made the announcement—no one was to go out tonight. They would see the priory, the lookout point, and St. Cuthbert's Island in the morning if time permitted and if the damage from the storm wasn’t too extensive.

Maddy and Shan ascended to their room right away. Huddled up beside Shan with the pounding of raindrops and the howl of wind above their heads, Maddy tried to think. Shan was getting dressed into her pajamas and already rifling through her rucksack. Producing a paperback book with a grin of triumph, she settled onto the bed and propped it on her knees. Now that she was in a place which was reasonably warm and dry, Shan's fears had subsided. She glanced at Maddy curiously when Maddy sat hunched on the bed beside her, face anxious, immersed in her troubled thoughts.

"We might as well make the most of it if we're going to be stuck here. Might as well just get comfy, eh? Mads? Are you all right?"

Maddy tried to put on a smiling face as she turned to her best friend. "Yes…I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About what?"

Luckily at just that instant Tom knocked on the door, and Maddy sprang up to open it.

"Hey," Maddy said. She had to chance the storm outside, there was no way she was transforming inside of this inn filled with her schoolmates and teachers. A sudden thought hit her. Was it risky? Sure. Devious? Yes—but it just might work.

Maddy pulled Tom over towards the bed and took off her shirt.

"Umm…Mads?" Tom's throat went dry as he stood there in stunned befuddlement.

Looking at Tom all the while, Maddy said to Shan, "Shan, would you mind, uh, switching rooms with Tom tonight?" Shan's eyes grew huge with disbelief. "I mean, I was hoping to have some alone time just the two of us."

Shan frowned. "You know we're not supposed to have opposite sexes sleeping in the same room Mads." Shan glanced at Tom, who looked like he had just won every single lottery in the world with the same ticket. Then she looked at Maddy, who was convincingly looking at Tom with a passion that Shan could only envy. She sighed. "Oh, all right. I'll go down to the lobby to read my book, and Tom, when it gets late enough, I'll slip into your room to sleep, and Sam shouldn't be the wiser."

Maddy was secretly very pleased. Shan was such a good friend. Maddy knew she would go along with it. Now—time to put phase two of the plan into action. No sooner had Shan left, Maddy patted the duvet beside her.

Tom looked at her, totally bewildered. "Uh, Mads, I thought you said you wanted to take things slow? This feels like fast to me." The truth was, Maddy wanted to find out once and for all whether Tom could ever be more than a friend to her—and the longer they dated, the more painful it would be if they had to break up. So, a small part of Maddy's plan involved making out with Tom and finding out, just getting it over with rather than drawing it out. But that wasn't the real reason she'd asked Shan to let Tom and her have the room tonight. Her main goal involved something else entirely…

"Tom, come here. Just let me worry about what's too fast and too slow, yeah?"

Tom sat on the bed next to her, fidgeting with his hands on his knees. His eyes slipped from Maddy's face to the black bra she was wearing. Maddy smiled. Even if my hunch is right, and Tom and I can never be more than friends, I want the first girl to kiss him to be someone who truly loves him. And whatever happens between us, Tom is one of my best mates, we grew up together, and I will always love him like a true friend. Maddy was all too aware of Tom's thundering heartbeat as she straddled him. She heard him swallow audibly as she methodically took Tom's hands and placed them on her bare shoulders.

"Tom, relax. It's just me." She leaned over, brushing her lips across his. Then she kissed him, a long, patient kiss as she felt Tom's fingers curl around her shoulders and pull her closer to him. The two teens kissed and made out for at least a half hour. Some way or other, Tom ended up lying on the bed with Maddy snuggled against his chest. The two were both fully clothed still—except for Maddy topless—plus the brightness in Tom's eyes and Maddy's mussed-up hair left plenty of evidence of what they'd done.

Maddy kept the sadness from her eyes. Sorry, Tom. I love you, but only as a friend. This had just confirmed the inkling she'd had when they first kissed outside. As much as she cared about Tom and thought the world of him, he just wasn't the guy to make her toes curl or her mouth go dry. You couldn't control who you were or weren't attracted to, not really. I'll have to find a way to tell him… She hated breaking his heart, but she'd hate herself far more if she strung him along, now that she knew her own mind.

All of it would have to wait, though, because now was time for phase three of Maddy's plan.

"Tom…"

"Mads…you're a really good kisser." He propped himself up on one elbow and caressed Maddy's cheek. "I could kiss you all night." Maddy sat up and threaded the fingers of her right hand with his.

"Listen, Tom. I need you to do me a favor." The wind moaned above the rooftops. A flash of lightning briefly let up Maddy's face through the window.

"Okay…"

"I need you to stay here. I have to go out for the night."

"What?!" Tom surged to a sitting position as Maddy placed her hands on his chest.

"Remember that guy I followed earlier? The one I thought I knew?" she said.

Tom nodded slowly. "The one who prompted you to go running off like an idiot, which nearly made Jeffries blow his top? That guy? Yes…what about him? I thought you said it was just a case of mistaken identity."

Maddy nodded. "It's more complicated than that. I think he might need my help." That much was true. I'm not lying, or at least not completely Maddy told herself. She would feed Tom as much of the truth as she safely could. Maddy chewed on her lip as she followed through on the riskiest part of her plan—getting Tom to agree to this now that she'd taken down his defenses.

"Tom, I need to go out and make sure he's okay. I might need to be gone for a while, maybe even all night. I just need you to trust me. If anyone asks, I need you to tell them that I was here all night. If Shan asks, I need you to tell her that I was with you the whole night too."

Tom did not look happy. He folded his arms tightly together and glared at Maddy. "Mads, clearly there's a lot you aren't telling me. Now you expect me to just let you go gallivanting off into the night in the middle of a storm, by yourself? What kind of boyfriend do you think I am?"

Maddy leaned over and kissed Tom softly on the cheek. "The kind who trusts his girlfriend." Like an arrow piercing his defenses, Maddy's words seemed to work. Tom's face softened.

"I don't like, it Mads. Why can't YOU trust ME, even a little bit? With the storm of the century battering away at Lindisfarne, why do you have to go out?"

Maddy threaded the fingers of her other hand with Tom's now too. "Tom, believe me, this is something I have to do."

"Fine, then I'm going with you." Tom made to get up, but Maddy kept him firmly on the bed.

"No, you aren't."

Tom's eyes shone with the stubbornness of a badger. "Yes, I do. I'm not letting you go out there on your own."

Aware that her plan was quickly unraveling, Maddy found support from an unexpected source. Panicked at having to change into her wolf without her parents, at being completely alone on the island besides strange wolfbloods lurking about, she was genuinely worried and scared too. Maddy took those emotions and just let them out for Tom to see. She started to cry, tears sliding down her cheeks as she thought about how Dan and Emma would be worried sick about her, with no way to contact her as the storm raged. She thought of how if she screwed this up and people found out what she was, her family would have to uproot and leave Stoneybridge, the one place that had been home to her family for hundreds of years. With so much at stake, the thought of letting her parents down and failing was too much. So Maddy let all her fears spill out with sorrow, sobbing as Tom—who had gone from firm to uncomfortable and contrite—wrapped her up in his arms and tried to soothe her.

"Mads, whoa! SSHH, please don't cry. I hate it when girls cry, and when you cry it's even worse. Please Mads." Tom just hugged her tight. He kissed the top of her head as he rubbed her back. Finally Maddy's sobs subsided, and between sniffles she returned to the crucial question.

"Does this mean you'll trust me and let me go out?"

"Why is it such a big deal if I go with you?"

Maddy wracked her brain for an answer he would accept.

"Because," she murmured, "I need to face this challenge alone. The person I ran into earlier—he won't accept my help if you're with me." That much was the truth. A wolfblood would never want help from a human to fight other wolfbloods.

Tom mulled over the girl's cryptic words. "So…whatever it is you're going out to do, is it dangerous?"

Maddy quickly shook her head. "No, Tom. I won't be in any danger. I promise."

"You pinky swear?" Tom extended his left pinky. Maddy looped her pink around his and shook on it.

"I pinky swear. All right? So will you let me go now?"

Tom reluctantly nodded.

Maddy gave him a firm kiss. "You're the best friend ever."

"Don't you mean boyfriend ever?"

Maddy smirked. "Since I've never had a boyfriend before, that isn't saying much. Just take the original compliment." Tom sighed.

"Just please be careful. If anything happens to you tonight…"

Maddy was re-hooking the clasp of her bra, shrugging her shirt back on and taking her jacket off of the door peg. "I know, I know. You'll never forgive yourself. But I'll be completely fine, Tom. Plus, I'll be eternally grateful." She leaned over, giving him one more gratitude-filled kiss.

Moments later, Maddy had slipped quietly into the hallway.

Tom plopped back on the bed, scratching his chin, thoughts in disarray. Did I do the right thing? I mean, I know that giving Maddy her space and encouraging her to open up to me is a process that's going to take a little time. But she could be in danger. I don't care what she said, that storm's nasty and who knows what could happen out there with the whole village out of power. Maybe Shan's right. Maybe it's about time we got to the bottom of Maddy's secrets, whatever they are.

Tom leapt off the bed, threw on his jacket, and snuck down the hallway. He was now a man with a mission.  

Chapter Text

Ch. 4 - Rhydian's Surprise

Maddy could hear Tom trying to follow her. Sorry, Tom. I can't let you be the overprotective friend, not tonight of all nights. Maddy used her keen wolfblood senses, doubling back as soon as she left the inn and waiting until Tom came out with only the whipping winds and torrential downpour to greet him. Hopefully he'd have enough sense to go back inside, but she couldn't afford to wait around to find out. She waited just long enough until she was sure he had no idea where she'd gone, and then she slipped away quietly down one of the side streets.

The wolfblood girl made her way towards Lindisfarne Castle. As soon as she left the village, the playful wolf inside her tore free. Her wolf wasn't afraid of the storm. Her wolf welcomed it. Embraced it. She barreled ahead, oblivious to her hair swirling like a miniature whirlpool on top of her head thanks to the raging weather. She didn't care, she was free—away from prying human eyes. The relief at being alone and free to transform was so great, she even forgot her fear of running into a hostile wolfblood or two.

A somber face reared up in her mind. Gerwyn's. She couldn't guarantee that she would find him in the storm, but she would give it all she had. Catching and retaining a scent in this chaos was close to impossible. Still, keeping her goal in mind, she climbed up a rocky hillside just east of Lindisfarne Castle. This should give me the best vantage point to see who else is up and about or going bump in the night. The moon was so bright that she could pinpoint its otherworldly gleam even through the nasty thunderclouds. She pulled herself up on top of the highest ledge, where a little rocky plateau made for the perfect lookout spot. She gazed out over the wave-battered shoreline. The headlands had an eerie beauty to them as the storm lashed the world with everything it could.

Gerwyn, where are you? She'd only just met him, and still she wanted to help him. He hadn't frightened her, once she'd recovered from the shock of his ambush. His face had looked sad more than anything. She had to know—who was hunting him? And why?

As the slender wolfblood girl stood near the precipice, adjusting her wolfblood vision to make the dark appear more like day, a sudden gust of wind buffeted her. A crack of lightning abruptly struck the ground less than 50 yards away. Her vision blanked as she stumbled. She felt earth give way beneath her feet.

Ahhh!!

The world spun as she felt herself slide down the hillside, hit a large, sharp rock, and pivot sideways as gravity continued to pull her down hard. She felt something break in her right ankle as pain made her shout—not that anyone could hear her as the screeching winds swallowed up her cry.

Then the world went cold…and dark.

ELSEWHERE ON THE ISLE OF LINDISFARNE…

It's a simple plan, mate. Simple in this case did not mean good. It just meant they had limited options. Rhydian knew his role; he was to search the island's eastern coast, Matei and Emilia would take the western coast, and Jana, who had the best tracking ability in the whole pack, had reserved the central part of the island as her appointed region to search. If Gerwyn was anywhere on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, they were determined to find him. But how did you find a wolfblood who didn't want to be found in the middle of a wickedly bad storm? Not without a break and more than a little luck.

So far, Rhydian definitely was not feeling lady luck on his side. In fact, Rhydian was chilled and wet and not particularly happy.

What will I do once I find him? Resentment churned inside him like the vicious undertow of the storm-tossed currents. He didn’t even know why it mattered to him so much. Mum had all but told him he was wasting his time. Dad had abandoned them…and the why of it was probably unimportant. The fact was, he had left his family, his responsibilities, and Rhydian couldn't think of any justification that would bridge the rift or purge all the anger in his heart.

Still, a small part of him hoped. A tiny part of him wanted to try anyway, if not for him, then for Bryn and Ceri. What if we could be a family again?

Of course, bringing Gerwyn back to the pack required them to actually find him, and that was a big 'If.' It was strange, how Gerwyn had managed to stay one step ahead of them. He shouldn't have even had the faintest clue that they were tracking him, yet every time Jana had used her wild wolfblood senses to put them hot on his trail, they'd gotten close—only to discover that they'd barely missed him.

It had been over a week since they had left the North Wood to begin tracking him. An unsettling thought distracted Rhydian for the briefest moment—What if we aren't the only ones after him?

Rhydian paused as he looked up at the intimidating bulk of Lindisfarne Castle. Lightning flared, bringing it to life. In the same instant he switched his gaze to a tall, jagged outcropping just east of the castle, and his heart leapt to his throat when he saw a figure's silhouette framed by the blinding flash.

Gerwyn?!

The wolfblood boy ran like a gust of wind. You're not escaping, Dad, not this time. He reached the bottom of the rocky hill, only to smell a wolfblood much, much closer than he'd expected. And he could tell from the scent that it wasn't Gerwyn either. Rhydian paused. His blue eyes turned yellow as he turned on his wolfblood night vision sense. He peered down and saw, soaked and nestled in the wet grass near the foot of the hill, a slender, injured young girl. He rushed over to her immediately. He sniffed again, just to be sure.

She smells like one of us. The smell was off, though, just a tad more human than it should have been. She's a cub then. Hasn't finished her first change yet. He looked her over carefully. She was young, but not too young. The girl had to be about his age. She was a brunette with a striking face. In a less hectic time and place Rhydian would have called that face cute, even adorable—okay, probably even beautiful. The concerned boy looked for a pulse, and felt her heartbeat—strong and steady. He let out an anxious breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding back.

He looked her over more closely and saw the hideous angle of her right ankle. Not good. I can't move her. But…if she was on the verge of her first change tonight, with the Full Moon, the good news was that he wouldn't have to! He shook her gently.  

"Wake up. Please open your eyes." When she didn't stir, Rhydian…did something he himself couldn't explain afterwards. Maybe it was the angelic serenity of her face, or maybe…maybe what? Rhydian couldn't articulate it, but his heart reached out to this unknown wolfblood girl, totally alone in the middle of a fearsome storm, injured, without a pack to help her. His heart clenched with sadness. She's just a cub…she needs a pack…and just luckily I've brought one with me. In that instant he determined he would help her. Somehow or other, though, in the exact second he made that decision, another more primal part of Rhydian decided on a method of 'helping her' of a very different sort.

The wolfblood boy's eyes flared vivid yellow as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. "Please, wake up," he murmured as he slowly drew back, startled at what he'd done.

The brunette's eyes fluttered open. They were gorgeous, chocolate-brown eyes, orbs of color made all the more stunning by the washed-out grays of the surrounding storm. She peered up at him, at first in fear. He had hunched over her to shield her from the wind and the onslaught of rain, but he realized how it might look to her. So he quickly smoothed tendrils of wet hair away from her glistening face. He caressed her cheek in a move more intimate than he'd intended, but he just wanted to comfort her—to let her know that she was with one of her own kind.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to help."

"Oi, get off of me," the petite girl growled, trying to sit up. Her ankle twitched and she shrieked in pain, falling back to the ground.

Rhydian stayed patiently hunched over her, keeping the rain from soaking her more than it already had. "Please, don't move. You've taken a nasty fall and your ankle's one twist short of a pretzel. You need to stay completely still." The girl's face contorted from too much lingering pain, but Rhydian wouldn't let her focus on it. He took her hand and brought to his chest, giving it a gentle, tender squeeze. "Focus on me. Listen to my voice. I'm going to look after you, all right? Please, trust me. I won't let anything happen to you. I won't." The girl's eyes softened as the pain subsided. A few tears slid down her cheeks, barely distinguishable from the raindrops.

"It hurts so much," she moaned.

"I know it hurts, but the Full Moon is almost at its height. We're going to change soon. You feel it, don't you?"

The brunette nodded quickly. "I…do. It'll be…it'll be my first," she sighed.

"The change has a healing effect on the body. When you change, your ankle will mend. You'll see. I promise, you're going to be okay. More than okay."

The girl eyed him suspiciously. "So who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm Rhydian." His blue eyes crinkled with empathy. "I'm here looking for my dad. Do you have a name?"

The girl nodded. When Rhydian realized she didn't plan to say anything more, he grinned. "You're a stubborn one, aren’t you? Name—care to share?"

"That depends," the girl replied with a reluctant look. "Have you come to hurt a wolfblood named Gerwyn?"

Rhydian's eyes widened to the size of small moons. "No! He's my dad. He's the one we're looking for. You've met him?"

"Briefly," she replied, "after I first came to the island with my schoolmates." The brown-eyed girl seemed satisfied by Rhydian's earlier answer. Her face softened. She looked up, abruptly realizing that this odd wolfblood boy was still gripping her hand tightly in his.

"My name's Maddy. Maddy Smith."

"Pleased to meet you, Maddy Smith," Rhydian said with a wolfy grin. "Stay here. I'll go get my pack-mates, and we'll come back here straightaway to look after you." Rhydian moved to go, but suddenly the hand he had been gripping was now gripping his right back. He saw terror in Maddy's eyes.

"Don't go." With the waves pounding the shore like artillery fire, with the wind screeching like a horde of banshees, he couldn't blame her. He stayed like that, hunched over her like the perfect wind buffer, until finally, bit by bit, the storm entered a calmer phase. The lashing wind became less vicious and more playful. The rain lessened to a fine, misty drizzle.

He felt the pull of the Moon getting stronger now. Any minute now…and he would transform. They both would.

The girl named Maddy smiled up at him as the storm eased up. "Thank you for staying." He nodded. Then she frowned.

"Rhydian…what kind of a name is that?"

"It's Welsh," he said, grinning like a damn fool.

"And why do you"—she sniffed the air, probing with her wolfblood nose—"why do you smell like my parents?" Her cheeks turned the reddish-magenta of embarrassment as Rhydian laughed.

"You're just smelling your own kind. We're both wolfbloods, silly girl."

Maddy tried not to feel too embarrassed as she lost herself in those crystal-blue eyes. "Did you just call me a 'smelly girl'?" she grumbled. Even with the storm becoming tamer, the sound of the wind could still muddy the occasional word.

"No, I called you a 'silly' girl," Rhydian said. "But I can call you a smelly girl if you like. You smell like—" and now he couldn't resist smirking, "—wet dog."

"Shut up!" Maddy cried, smacking at his chest as he laughed at her. Why did the sound of his laughter make her heart feel like it could fly up and waltz among the angry-looking clouds? Then she felt it—it was happening. She looked down at her arms, inky-black lines racing up her veins as the earliest sign of the change took effect. Rhydian linked both his hands with hers. She could see his eyes go from ice-water blue to primal yellow as darkening veins spread up his cheeks, across his forehead even.

"It's happening," Maddy said excitedly. "Will your pack-mates find us? Can I…can I run with you and your pack?"

Rhydian smiled. "Of course you can, silly girl. Did I not say I would look after you? This is your first change. You should be spending it with a proper pack, and so you shall."

Maddy felt something tug at her heart. Why did she instinctually feel as if she'd known this wolfblood boy for years when they'd just met minutes ago? Sometimes, when you met a person, there was this touch of a kindred spirit, just a feeling—as if maybe, just maybe, you'd known that person in some alternate universe. That was the best Maddy could come up with as she looked up at the wolfblood boy who had just now dropped into her life as unexpectedly as a rogue comet.

"Rhydian…thank you. I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." Rhydian's wolfy grin broke wide as they both began to transform. His last words rang out in the night. "Here we go, she-wolf. Come along, smelly girl—I'll teach you what it means to run with a pack."

Near Lindisfarne Castle, a wiry figure spied the two teens as they changed from humans into wolves. Quickly and silently, the figure fled into the night.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Maddy with the Pack

When the change took them, Rhydian's heart pounded with the fiercest joy. The beautiful wolfblood girl he'd just met transformed into a wolf every bit as gorgeous—with fur the same chocolate-brown as her eyes.

Maddy…your wolf is just as pretty as you. Rhydian nuzzled her, huffing and licking her face as Maddy let out a happy little yelp and nuzzled him right back before twirling in a circle. Every muscle in her body was as restless as Rhydian's, so it wasn't long before the two wolfbloods raced each other along the shoreline. Their paws kicked up stones and clods of dirt as they sped north, past Sheldrake Pool. They doubled back, taking the public trail between two stretches of rolling farmland—towards the rendezvous point Jana had pre-arranged—and that's where Maddy's introduction to the rest of Rhydian's pack started out on a much rockier note than expected.

Maddy, no!

In choosing this rendezvous point, Jana had unwittingly chosen a spot near two fields of grazing sheep. Even with the sheep locked in their pens due to the storm, their scent still carried. An experienced wolfblood could resist those urges, especially with a firm alpha to keep them in line. But Maddy, being the eager young she-wolf she was, couldn't resist the pull of her wolf. A craving filled her belly the moment the enticing sheep-smells hit her nose. She leapt over the outer fence and raced towards the pen with a low growl that was wolf-speak for Where's my dinner?

Rhydian raced right behind her, but if he moved like a bullet, then she flew like lightning. Maddy, wait!

And right then he saw a red blur erupt from the trees. It crashed into Maddy at top speed, sending eight limbs of entangled wolfblood rolling through the field. The two wolfbloods rolled right through a patch of mud and even through a rapidly growing puddle. Snarls and growls lashed back and forth, all too audible above the softening din of the rain as Matei and Emilia and Rhydian all rushed over, only to stop dead in their tracks. Maddy and Jana were circling each other. Their fur stuck up at crazy angles, completely matted in filth. Jana's cream-colored underbelly had been stained a wretched shade of brown.

Sizing up the situation, Rhydian realized very quickly that, cub or no cub, Maddy definitely had an alpha's instincts…and that meant trouble, because two alphas meeting on unfamiliar territory, in the middle of a storm, with a food source nearby—just had disaster written all over it.

Stop this! Rhydian growled, at both his alpha and the wolfblood cub he wanted to protect. Jana was bigger than Maddy and more experienced. Even if Maddy was a plucky young wolf he would never dream of underestimating, Rhydian had no doubt that Jana would win if it came to blows or bites. He couldn't wait any longer, so he leapt—splashing mud and water everywhere. Jana and Maddy suddenly found a sandy-furred wolfblood in their midst. Growling and baring his fangs, Rhydian defied both alpha females to try to breach the barrier—namely him.

You'll not be gutting each other, not on my watch. Matei meanwhile hadn't been idle. His sleek, gray wolf had taken full advantage of Rhydian's distraction, coming up alongside Jana and nudging her. His growl said the same thing as Rhydian's. Don't hurt her. She's just a cub. Cubs had a certain smell about them, so the whole pack knew what Maddy was. It bought her the mercy to prevent something which, in any other situation with any other pack, might have ended in Maddy's first change also being her last.

Maddy's adrenaline finally dissipated. She shrank back, realizing what she'd nearly done. Killing a sheep would have provided evidence of wolves on Lindisfarne, which would have been the opposite of keeping the wolfblood secret safe. Her parents would have been horrified. As the thought penetrated her wolf's brain, the brunette whimpered and backed away. Not yet completely satisfied, Jana scooted around the edge of the puddle and stalked up to Maddy. She didn't growl, but she made it clear she expected her authority to be respected.

The younger she-wolf couldn't bring herself to roll over onto her back and show her belly. Her alpha wiring was just too strong. So she did the next best thing. She collapsed onto her side, sighed, and lay completely still. This is your pack, not mine. I'm sorry. It wasn't unconditional surrender, but it was enough.

Jana growled a little, but Matei nudged her again, and the growl turned into a huff. Stalking around the newcomer with a disdainful, grudging air, Jana finally let sleeping dogs lie. She gave Maddy's butt a little shove with her snout.

Get up. Maddy did, and to her surprise Jana now gave her a grudging nudge of affection which seemed to be wolf-speak for: Even if you are a troublesome young cub, better that you're with us than on your own. Then Jana dashed off, moving away from the village to continue the search for Gerwyn. The rest of the pack followed, and for the rest of the night, until the dawn sunlight painted the restless waves with tints of gold, Maddy felt what it was like to truly belong in a pack, roaming free and experiencing the world with a wolf's senses that extended far, far beyond her wolfblood senses in human form. It was all so overwhelming…but Maddy wouldn't have traded it for anything. She'd gone from terrified on her own, to nervous at meeting Rhydian, to almost feeling like she'd just made a new friend…maybe even friends. The last eight hours became like a dizzying rollercoaster. She'd even managed to forget about her parents back in Stoneybridge still probably worried sick.

Of course all of Maddy's anxieties resurfaced by the next morning. By then the last rain clouds were breaking up into harmless chunks. The wind proceeded to sweep away what was left of them. With the sun's brightness, the new day promised to be full of clear skies, which Maddy was grateful for. The brunette sat on a gentle rise overlooking the beach, preoccupied in thought. Rhydian sat beside her, while Jana and Matei still slept in each other's arms, totally unaware of the world. Emilia wasn't too far away. Her snoring carried like a foghorn, making Maddy grin as she whispered to Rhydian.

"I guess it's just like with eating competitions," she said.

Rhydian frowned. "What are you on about, silly girl?"

Maddy jerked her chin in Emilia's direction. "The tinier, more slender they are, the more they can wolf down food. The smaller, daintier they are, the more they can snore like a 900-pound gorilla."

The wolfblood boy smiled. "Fair enough. The universe likes to be ironic sometimes."

The brown-eyed girl nodded. "Seems so. I met you, after all." Before she realized she'd even done it, she slipped her hand around his. Just the warmth of his fingers felt so good, counteracting the chilled breeze coming off the ocean and tangling up her hair. She swiped at a stray lock of hair that whipped in front of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear.

"So…what does that mean exactly?" Rhydian said with a smirk. He looked down at their joined hands. "What's so 'ironic' about us meeting?"

Maddy shrugged. "I was terrified that I'd be all alone for my first change. I went out in the middle of a raging storm, which no one in their right mind would have gone out in, only to find exactly what I needed. You." As if the teen girl had just realized how flirtatious that sounded, she quickly coughed and pulled her hand back. "Not just you, I mean…you know, a pack to be with." But Rhydian's smirk had already grown into a full-fledged smile.

"No, I think I liked your original answer much better." He stood up and offered his hands, pulling Maddy to her feet. "It's decided then. We're friends. There's no resisting it."

"Oh, is that so?" Maddy challenged. Rhydian nodded and gave her a bear hug, twirling her around as she giggled and begged Rhydian to put her down.

"Only if you admit we're friends," he huffed, spinning faster and faster until both teens felt dizzy enough to spill over.

"Okay, I give in. We're friends!" Maddy wheezed, laughing as Rhydian pitched sideways onto the grass, still hugging her. It took some untangling, but the two wolfbloods sat up again, facing each other as the brunette's face turned serious.

"So…want to tell me about what's going on with your dad?"

Rhydian looked startled. "You don't hold back, do you? You go right for the jugular."

Maddy smiled shyly. "Well, if we're mates, I figure, mates can be honest and direct, yeah? This is me being honest and direct." She risked a glance up at him, and when she realized he didn't look too upset, she decided to press the issue. "So what's the story? Why is your dad running from you? And why is your pack chasing him? It must be pretty serious if you're willing to hunt him down even on a full moon and risk changing out in the open."

Rhydian sighed, his blue eyes creasing with something Maddy sensed was heartache.

"It's not a happy tale, Maddy. Are you sure you want to know this? You just met me. You don't have to listen to my sob story, not yet anyway."

Maddy gave him a punch to the shoulder. "Stop stalling and trying to get out of it. I'm curious. From the brief meeting I had with your dad…I don't know, I just…I liked him. I want to know. Tell me, and who knows"—she paused, assessing the pain behind Rhydian's eyes—"maybe I can help."

Rhydian shrugged, sighed, and surrendered. "Well, I guess it can't hurt. I have a feeling, Maddy Smith, that you're full of surprises."

MEANWHILE…on the Same Night as the Storm at Lindisfarne, Somewhere in Newcastle…

The tall, imperious female wolfblood pitched to her side as the cozy office began to feel more like a prison. The stab of pain quickly numbed, but that only enhanced the wolfblood's fear. She glanced down and saw it. A dart stuck from her side like some obscenely huge thorn.

"Natasha! What…have you done?" Her vision grew blurry as she looked up, trying to focus on her attacker.

"It's not a question of what I have done, Victoria, but of what you have failed to do." The prim and proper blonde stood even taller than Victoria Sweeney, which was saying something. She crouched down besides Victoria's prone form as the stricken wolfblood felt her limbs deaden into useless weights. "Failing to capture Gerwyn after months of hunting him, with all of Segolia's resources at your disposal, no less. Of course it's the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your poor judgment, isn't it?"

Victoria tried to keep her eyelids open, but they grew heavier by the second. "So you betray me for what…not getting the results we hoped for fast enough?"

Natasha's eyes gleamed with disgust. "No, Victoria. I'm betraying you because of the secrets you keep. Not that I mind secrets—they have their uses." The blonde's statuesque beauty turned harsh when she frowned. "But to cultivate those secrets with the wrong people, to make alliances with humans we don't need? With the likes of Alex Kincaid?" The blonde wolfblood stood back up with a deepening grimace.

"Just consider this a reckoning for your stupidity, Victoria. You had it coming, and as for Mr. Kincaid, I'll deal with him soon enough."

"Wait. Please, just let me go and I swear that we'll give you access to the serums we've developed, serums which will revolutionize Segolia's ability to keep wolfbloods safe! We can collaborate for the benefit of all wolf—"

The scorn in Natasha's tone silenced Victoria like a whip. "Collaborate? With an arrogant, blind-sided alpha who was foolish enough to entrust a human with something that could be used as a weapon against our own kind? A human who hates wolfbloods?" Natasha's laugh was filled with the same bitter scorn. "I've already developed a serum of my own, and I don't intend to have any competitors. No, I think Segolia is long overdue for a good purging—and that purging, Victoria Sweeney, begins with you."

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Disaster

Maddy's eyes tightened as she saw Rhydian look away and shove his hands in his pockets.

"It's not exactly something I enjoy talking about…what led to my dad abandoning my mum and brother. When I was a little cub, I wandered off and humans found me. Best as I can tell, Mum blamed dad, and he blamed her, and—"

"Wait, what do you mean? Your parents just let you wander around in the woods by yourself?"

Rhydian's confused look mirrored hers. "My parents were part of a wild wolfblood pack, Maddy. That's how wild wolfbloods live…"

Maddy frowned. "What's a 'wild' wolfblood?" Rhydian gaped at her.

"Huh? You're actually being serious." When Maddy glared at him impatiently, the wolfblood boy explained to her not just about wild wolfboods, but how he'd been separated from his parents for over a decade.

Maddy paced back and forth, biting her lip and trying to absorb everything he'd just said. "My mum and dad, they always told me that all wolfboods were like us. Hiding what we are while living among humans. But they're not…" The awe in Maddy's voice was tinged with a note of anger.

My parents should have TOLD me. They've been as good as lying to me all this time.

So what if they were doing it to protect her? She didn't need protecting anymore. She wasn't a cub—she was a proper wolfblood now. It wasn't their choice to make, to keep these things from her. A pang of disappointment cut through her heart. A tiny but important part of Maddy felt betrayed.

Maddy started to walk along the shore, with Rhydian beside her.

"So…you were picked up by humans, and then what?"

Rhydian shrugged, his eyes going distant as he looked out towards the ocean. Maddy saw the telltale signs of trauma buried too deep for words. "I bounced around from one foster home to the next. No one really accepted me. No one cared." A tiny smile slipped out. "Even then, though, I knew I was different. Well, I thought I was a freak…so not really a good kind of different. But then Jana found me and changed all that."

"Jana?" The fierce redheaded alpha who nearly tore my head off last night? THAT Jana? Got it. Judging from Rhydian's grin, Maddy half wondered if he had just read her thoughts.

"Yes. Jana's hard to describe…even for a wolfblood, she's extraordinary. Unique."

"How so?" Maddy came to a stop and sat down. Rhydian sat down beside her and began to skip stones across the water.

"She's one of the only wild wolfbloods that isn't afraid of the human world. I met her by accident when she snuck away from her pack to see what humans were like. We crossed paths in Newcastle. Her dad Alric found out and went after me as punishment, saying I'd 'corrupted' Jana into wanting to join the human world. It was really Jana's choice all along though. She's incredible." Rhydian paused, and Maddy nudged him hard with her elbow.

"And?"

Rhydian sighed, shaking his head. "And when Alric injured me, it was like something snapped inside Jana. She went from being Alric's daughter to being an alpha in her own right. She fought Alric and two other wolfbloods off to save me. It wasn't too long after that, she overthrew her own father for control of the pack."

Maddy risked a glance over her shoulder in the direction of Jana and Rhydian's other pack-mates. "But she's only…" Maddy tried to formulate a guess, except she wasn't always too good at estimating age.

Rhydian smirked. "Too young? Just don't you dare tell her that, not unless you want your head bitten off."

"Once is enough, thank you," Maddy muttered.

The blue-eyed boy slipped an arm around Maddy's shoulders as a cold breeze made goose bumps along her arms.

"What happened to your jacket?"

Maddy shrugged. "I left it back on the bluff." She sat very still, suddenly all too aware of Rhydian's body heat warming up her right side and seeping into her bare shoulders. Why was a little part of her aware of every single place he touched, each span of skin-to-skin contact like a thousand volts of energy humming through her veins? She tried not to think about it even as Rhydian's fingers gently rubbed up and down her arm to get her blood circulation moving in all the right directions. She tried to focus her thoughts elsewhere—anything she could do so that he wouldn't see the effect he was having on her.

"Is Jana a good pack leader?" Maddy couldn't resist asking. Part of her felt jealous of Jana. She looked to be just a year or two older than Maddy, yet she already had her own pack. Somehow Rhydian caught the look of envy on Maddy's cute face. The wolfblood boy rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe you're jealous."

Maddy shot to her feet and gave Rhydian a healthy look of indignation. "I'm NOT jealous."

Rhydian's smirk didn't waver. "Well, whatever it is, I wouldn't wish to be in Jana's shoes if I were you." Rhydian sighed. "She's trying to straddle two worlds now. She lives in the human world for part of the year, and in the wild for the rest of the year. She wants the wild pack to feel comfortable with BOTH the wild and the human realm. She's not forcing the wild wolfbloods to change, but she's coaxing them in that direction." Rhydian laughed ruefully.

"What's so funny?"

"No, I was just laughing at myself…at how much I've changed. At first when Jana told me that my mum and little brother were part of Jana's wild wolfblood pack, I was hell-bent on joining the pack. I mean, I was pissed at my mum for not finding me, for not making the effort, but I think part of me understood why she didn't…how she'd just been too afraid of the human world, and how she'd had Bryn to consider too—my little brother. So, despite everything, my mixed feelings towards Mum, I wanted more than anything to officially join Jana's pack and live in the wild."

"Didn't you?" Maddy said, eyes wide.

"No. That's just it. That stubborn-as-nails Jana wouldn't let me." Rhydian stood up beside Maddy and stared at the white crests of the waves. "She told me that it was important that I get an education and learn to be at ease among humans. She said that if I were going to have a brighter future, especially with the wild wolfbloods' habitat constantly shrinking, that this was the best thing for me. For the pack. She told me, 'Rhydian, what the wild wolfblood pack needs is ambassadors like you, wolfbloods who can help us understand humans and live beside humans even as we keep our traditions alive.'"

Maddy bit her lip, frowning. "Your mum and brother can't have been happy about that decision."

Now Rhydian's laughter turned almost bitter. "No, Maddy—they weren't. In fact, Jana came very close to being toppled as alpha after that. I…" Rhydian paused, his expression clouding over as Maddy tried to read his thoughts. There was definitely regret there…yet also something else.

"I came around to Jana's way of thinking just in time. Mum wasn't happy about the arrangement." Rhydian smiled. "Still isn't. But I think even she realizes, in her heart of hearts, that this is for the best." Rhydian shrugged. "And now that I'm living with the Vaughns, with foster parents who actually treat me like one of their own…" Rhydian rubbed his hands together to ward off the chill. "I'm just glad Jana was as stubborn with me as she was. I need to stay in the human world, even if my roots will always call me back to the more primal places where I grew up." Rhydian began walking back towards his still dozing pack-mates, and Maddy hurried to keep up.

Maddy had so many more questions…about Jana, Rhydian's other pack-mates Matei and Emilia—but if she didn't get back to the inn soon, her absence would definitely be noticed.

"Look, Rhydian, I should…probably go. My schoolmates will start wondering if I don't get back." Rhydian nodded glumly. He took one of her hands as they kept meandering, wishing that time would slow down.

"I never did ask you where you were from," he said.

Maddy started blushing and she didn't even know why. Maybe it was the way he was staring at her so intently. "I live with my parents in Stoneybridge. It's—"

"I know where Stoneybridge is."

The brunette's chocolate-brown eyes grew huge as she tried not to gape like an idiot. "You do?" Most people didn't know it. It was just a small suburban town in Northumbria.

Rhydian's eyes sparkled almost like sunlit gems. "Actually, my foster parents are moving us there. Darryl, my foster dad, had a stroke recently. My foster mum wants to move away from Newcastle to somewhere more relaxed, away from all the stress. She found an affordable little property in Stoneybridge. We're moving there next month."

"You are?" Maddy's whole face lit up like a child seeing piles of lushly wrapped presents on Christmas morning.

Seeing the look of happiness and hopefulness on Maddy's face caught Rhydian off guard. They had only known each other for less than a day, and yet he just felt like she was already part of his pack…or was he becoming part of hers? She had a strength to her that reminded Rhydian of Jana—but it was a different kind of strength.

That's when he did the impulsive thing, the thing a younger, shyer Rhydian would never have done. Seeing Maddy's excitement the moment he mentioned that he would be living near her, he followed instinct. He leaned over and kissed her. The startled wolfblood girl let it happen, and then she was abruptly gripping him by the wrists, pulling him in closer as her lips responded, deepening the kiss.

What am I doing? Maddy heard her heart thudding way too loudly in her ears. The wolfblood girl suddenly broke off the kiss, taking big gulps of air. She stared at the ground, afraid of what she might do next if she let herself look him in the face even for another second. What just happened?

"Rhydian, I have to go." She turned without a backward glance. She just ran. Her heart was ready to break free of her ribcage, and not because of her quickness as she sprinted across the headlands at full speed. Rhydian's voice trailed after her, but she just kept running until it faded along with the sound of the waves lapping at the beach.

I can't believe I did that. Rhydian… Why did the thought of the new wolfblood boy excite her almost as much as it scared her? She thrust all her questions aside and made it back to the Crown and Anchor Inn while most of her schoolmates still snoozed in their beds. Only Jeffries and Ms. Derby were up and making coffee in the common area. Maddy snuck by them like a wolfblood spy.

She slipped into the room she and Tom had shared the night before. Tom turned towards her and stood up from his perch on the bed. He was fully dressed, but his eyes were bloodshot. It looked like he hadn't slept more than an hour or two, tops.

"Maddy." His tone was rough, like sandpaper, and his eyes…she'd never seen them so livid in her life. So full of pure anger.

"Tom, I—"

"Save it, Mads!" Tom hissed. "We're supposed to be best mates. That's supposed to mean something, yeah?" When Maddy tried to respond, she got bulldozed by his next words. "You lied to me. You could have told me and been honest, but no. I saw you last night, Mads. I know what you are."

Maddy felt a chill skitter down her back. It didn't help that she'd left her jacket back by the ocean.

"Tom, please let me explain." The petite girl tried to step forward as her best friend took a giant step backward.

"I saw him kiss you, Mads, as you laid there…and then before I could climb down I saw…I saw you both change." The betrayal in Tom's eyes made Maddy's heart lurch. So did her legs. She stumbled as Tom brushed past her, his eyes sparking with the deadliest kind of heat.

"Tom!" She spun around. What was he going to do? Tom reached for the doorknob and that's when Maddy lunged.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Shunned

"Tom!"

Maddy lunged at Tom as he reached for the doorknob. He was still so angry, the look on his face so filled with betrayal, that Maddy was afraid of what he might do. Surely he won't reveal my secret to everyone? Would he tell Shan though? That seemed a lot more likely.

The wolfblood girl lunged, but she wasn't prepared for Tom's reaction. The tall footballer had more strength than he realized. He instinctively shoved Maddy as she tried to stop him from opening the door. Maddy flew backward, her left leg clipping the bedpost as she spun—her forehead ramming into the corner of the dresser as she fell. The slender girl felt pain explode behind her eyes as she struggled to sit up. Something trickled down her nose. Is that…? Is that mine?

Blood. The metallic stench filled her nostrils. She blinked her eyes open in time to see the anger on Tom's face temporarily obliterated by something else—guilt.

"Mads!" Tom rushed over and knelt by her. He pressed his sleeve to the gash on her forehead, which was still bleeding almost like a fountain. He kept his sleeve pressed to it. He patiently waited for the bleeding to ease up. "Mads, we have to take you to Jeffries. This is going to need stitches. You'll probably have to go to hospital. Let me help you—"

"No!" Maddy said, lowering her voice when she realized she'd just nearly shouted. "I can't…if they take a blood test, they'll know what I am. I just…I can't risk going to a proper hospital, Tom. I can't."

"Right," Tom said, his guilt receding as the same betrayal and frustration she'd seen earlier swallowed it right up. "Because you're…not human." He slowly stood up and backed away. Maddy was able to put her hand to her forehead. The worst of the bleeding had stopped.

"So…what? You're going to just walk around with a huge gash on your face and hope Jeffries doesn't notice?"

The wolfblood girl shook her throbbing head. "No, Tom. Look, just stand watch outside the door. If I change into my wolf, I should be able to heal myself. I just need…just a few minutes is all. Can you at least do that much for me?" Maddy could see that Tom no longer looked at her the same way. There was a new, steadfast distrust as he eyed her now, as if some alien parasite had taken over the body of his once-best friend.

"Sure," Tom muttered. His face had become a careful mask of stone. "I guess I can do that."

As he turned to go, Maddy stopped him.

"Tom. You won't say anything to Shan, will you?"

Tom let out a bitter chuckle. "No, Mads…what would I even say? I don't even know where to start. I'll let you explain to her why I want nothing to do with you, yeah?" Those words tore through Maddy like the thrust of an acid-coated knife. Tom feels so betrayed, not only because I didn't tell him what I was, but also because of what he saw… Was it really true, had Rhydian kissed her before she'd come to, after her fall from the bluff last night? The thought made her grit her teeth. I'm going to kill Rhydian. He'd made something bad—Tom seeing them change—that much worse. Maybe, just maybe if Tom had only seen Maddy change, he wouldn't have felt so betrayed. But now Tom felt betrayed on two levels, and Maddy understood why:

He had seen his girlfriend kiss another boy—at least that's what it had looked like—and he'd discovered that his best friend / new girlfriend had hidden from him a huge, earth-shattering secret. It was no wonder Tom felt so bitter and confused. Maddy just hoped that she could salvage their friendship. And that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the girl's worries.

Ugh! What am I going to tell Shan? That problem loomed like an extinction-causing meteor crashing to earth. Shan would notice how upset Tom was. She'd be poking around asking a million questions. She already suspected that Maddy was some kind of beast too. What can I possibly say that won't just increase her suspicions, unless I outright lie to her? And if she lied, since Tom knew the truth and didn't look too likely to collaborate with any deception, there was a very good chance that any lie would eventually get exposed anyway.

Maddy frowned. So, somehow, I have to keep Shan in the dark about what just happened without lying to her or making her more suspicious. The teenage girl put her head in her hands, tears leaking between her fingers as she fought back the series of sobs that wanted to come out.

No, Mads. You don't have time for this! You have to be strong. But part of her heart was bleeding. Was it too much to ask, to be what she was, a wolfblood, and to still have human friends? I just want my best mates back. Tom and Shan mean so much to me. We've been friends since we were little, for so long it sometimes feels like they're part of me. I won't let this get between us. I won't! She held back the sobs, but a thin trail of tears inevitably streamed down her face as she looked at the floor, her arms limp at her sides. Deep inside, her inconsolable heart shuddered, and all the wolflbood girl knew was that the emotional pain in her heart felt far worse than the physical pain in her head.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER…

The bell rang in Mr. Hicks' classroom. Maths form was over—thank the world for small favors. Another school day with her "best friends" mostly ignoring her had come to an end. Maddy looked furtively in Tom and Shan's direction as the room started to empty fast.

"Tom, hold up," Maddy called. She rushed out towards Tom and Shan, fighting through the mass of bodies. Tom said something to Shan and slipped away down the hallway, quickly vanishing around the corner. By the time Maddy got clear of the crowd, she was too late. Shan turned towards her, a judgmental expression on her face which her eyeglasses only emphasized.

"He heard me. Bloody hell. He's being such an idiot," Maddy huffed. "Shan, will you talk some sense into him?" Shan had been growing cooler and cooler towards Maddy lately.

The ginger-haired girl shrugged. "I'd talk some sense into him, Mads, if I knew what kind of sense I needed to be talking about. You still haven't told me what happened on Lindisfarne. It's been weeks, Maddy. Tom won't speak a word of it. You know what I think?"

Maddy felt her heart racing with fear, but she refused to show it. She rolled her eyes and tried to laugh it off. "No, Shan, what?"

Shan's voice crept to a heated whisper. "I think that you are the beast on the moors, Maddy Smith, and that Tom saw what you really are. I've seen the way he looks at you now. It's more than just a simple breakup or a lovers' tiff. Whatever happened between you and Tom on the isle of Lindisfarne, it shook him to the core." Shannon Kelly quickly folded her arms in front of her and threw Maddy this expectant look. "Tell me I'm wrong."

Maddy's school uniform suddenly felt way too hot and her tie suddenly felt way too tight. Think, Mads. She'd already lost Tom, and thanks to Shan's growing suspicions she was about to lose her second best friend too. There had to be a way out of this. And that's when the idea sprang up in Maddy's head.

What's always better than telling a lie? Giving a partial truth. She just needed to give Shan a partial truth that would stand up to scrutiny even if Tom didn't back it up…and she knew just the thing.

"You're wrong, Shan." Tears stung Maddy's eyes. Just the idea of losing BOTH of her best mates made those tears genuine, come without hesitation. "The truth is that…I don't like Tom like he liked me. He…wanted something I couldn't give him. Tom will always be my friend Shan, I'll always love him like a best mate. But I can't…I can't be his girlfriend, Shan. I just don't have those feelings towards him. I can't change how I feel, Shan. Please don't be like Tom and hate me because of it." Maddy wiped at her eyes while Shan's conspiracy-theory expression shattered into one of confusion. She grabbed Maddy by the arm and started tugging her towards the darkroom.

"This isn't the place for this," Shan said softly. Meanwhile Maddy could only think, This plan might just be working.

Shan closed and locked the darkroom door behind them, then pointed at the ratty old couch that was the only comfy furniture the darkroom had to offer. "Sit," she ordered. Maddy sat, seeing her friend's attention locked onto her like a laser beam.

"You're telling me that Tom's been avoiding you all this time and giving you ugly looks because you broke up with him?"

Yes. I mean, because I'm a wolfblood, that's one reason I can't love Tom in the way he thought he loved me. He's human, he can't understand me…not completely. So in a way, what I'm telling Shan is the truth. Maddy shoved those thoughts aside and knew that her next answer might make all the difference. Judging by Shan's tone, she still wasn't convinced, so Maddy lowered the boom.

"It wasn't just breaking up with him, Shan! I've never even had those feelings for him, period. I only said yes to dating him because he was my best friend, I felt obligated to give him a chance. But that night on Lindisfarne when we were making out, I didn't feel that spark that I knew I should feel, if I…if I had any feelings for Tom at all." Maddy gave her girlfriend a helpless look. "I've never fancied Tom, OK? There, I said it. And even when we were making out, it just didn't feel right to me. I know that's not…something he wants to hear, but it's the truth, whatever Tom tells ya."  

Shan's brow furrowed. Calculations were being made behind her intently staring eyes.

Maddy put her face in her hands, hunched over on the sofa, and sighed—a tired, dejected note of surrender. "I just want my best friends back. God, I would do anything to just have you guys back," she said, her voice cracking. She felt rather than saw another's weight pressing down on the couch cushion beside her. Suddenly Shan's sweater-sleeved arm had wrapped around her shoulders. Her taller friend pulled her in close until Maddy's head rested under Shan's chin.

"So, Tom's heartbroken and he's taking it out on you?" Shan said.

Maddy sniffled and relished the comforting feel of her friend's touch. Her wolf welcomed it too. Shan's scent filled her nose and made her feel loved in a way she hadn't felt at school these past few weeks.

"It's true." And, in a way, it was true. Tom was heartbroken—just not entirely for the reasons Maddy had given. Maddy hadn't really lied either. She'd told Shan about her true non-feelings for Tom, yet technically she hadn't told Shan that she'd actually mentioned those non-feelings to Tom. Of course, if Shan had already assumed those things based on what Maddy had said… well, the clever wolfblood girl wasn't about to draw attention to it.

"I'm sorry, Mads." Shan hugged her closer, rubbing her back. "I shouldn't have judged you…I just…"

"Does this mean you no longer think I'm some ravenous 'beast of the moors'" Maddy teased. Shan pulled back, giving Maddy a searching stare.

"The jury's still out on that, Maddy." Her face softened. "Either way, I can tell you're telling me the truth about how you feel about Tom." Now she rolled her eyes. "Plus, I know boys can be complete asses when it comes to matters of the heart. God knows, there's a reason I've sworn off all things romantic and plan to continue on that path until I'm at least through University," Shan said firmly.

Maddy sniffed again, wiping at her runny nose as Shan handed her a tissue from her pocket.

"So…does this mean we can be, ya know, actual friends again?"

Shan gave Maddy a small grin, and it was filled with warmth. "Even when I'm furious with you, at the end of the day I'll always be your friend, Mads. Don't worry, I'll have a productive talk with Tom. I'll get him to come around before—"

"No, don't do that." Time for the last part of my plan.

"Why not? I thought you wanted me to talk some sense into him?"

Maddy shuddered, as she knew this part would be a little tricky. "There's one thing I left out. Another reason Tom is so angry with me." Now this part was close enough to the truth. "I kissed another boy that night on Lindisfarne."

Shan's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth as she gasped. "Wait. What? WHO?"

Maddy scowled. "Can ya please keep your voice down? And wipe that judge-y look off your face while you're at it." The wolfblood girl gulped up a deep breath. "Look, the reason I don't want you to say anything to Tom is…this is my problem to fix. I'll talk to Tom somehow and make things right with him. I just didn't want to be on the outs with both of my best mates, all right? So don't abandon me now just because I screwed up."

The ginger-haired girl nodded and grasped Maddy's hands in hers, her thumbs brushing across Maddy's knuckles in comforting swipes. "All right. I'll forgive you, but only if you tell me."

Mads frowned. "Tell you what?"

"Who you kissed, you big dummy." Shan, all exasperated: "Well? Please tell me you didn't kiss Jimi." Shan made a yuck face—so absolutely priceless. Maddy couldn't hold back a giggle.

Before Maddy could reply, though, her wolf snarled inside her. On high alert, Maddy's whole body stiffened. She scented two wolflbloods—and they were close. A knock came at the darkroom door.

Shan moved to open it, Maddy rushing up beside her. Two wolfbloods stood side by side. A redhead with pale skin and vivid eyes stood beside a taller wolfblood boy with a somewhat angular face. Jana…and Matei? Maddy froze.

"Hi Maddy. Can we talk?" Jana said, conversational as if they'd known each other for ages.

"Um…"

Shan jumped in. "Who are you?"

Jana reached out her hand. "My name's Jana. I'm Maddy's cousin."

"Cousin?" Shan said, surprised. She looked over at Maddy, and in the same instant Jana threw Maddy a pointed look. Play along.

"Um, that's right. Jana's a distant cousin. I forgot she was coming to visit."

Jana nodded. "Maddy, this is kind of important. Can you join us for a bite to eat? Is there somewhere good we can go talk?"

Maddy nodded, thoughts and questions swirling together into a hopeless mix. What in the world do these two want? Whatever it was, it put Maddy on edge. Her life was complicated enough, but she had a feeling it was about to get a lot more complicated…

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Newcomers in Stoneybridge

Ughk! Maddy couldn't breathe. She thrashed and flailed, but the wolfblood was way too strong. She could only look at Rhydian's helpless face turning to complete panic. He couldn't help her in time. None of them could.

"Maddy!"

TWO HOURS EARLIER, OUTSIDE BRADLINGTON HIGH…

Jana and Matei were walking up to Bradlington High's campus. They were wolves in another pack's territory, and it showed.

Matei gently took Jana's hand. "It's all right. You don't have to be so nervous. From what Rhydian's told us, we know Maddy likes him and he definitely likes her." Matei's face broke out into a broad grin. "She'll be willing to help him adjust when he moves to Stoneybridge next week with the Vaughns. It's not even a question."

Jana snorted. She loved Matei but sometimes he needed to take off his rose-colored glasses. Being a pack leader, she'd learned not to count her cubs until they'd been weaned…humans had another saying for it, something about waiting until your chickens were hatched. Whatever. Let's just get this done. Jana's main concern wasn't Maddy—it was Maddy's parents. Fat lot of good it will do us if Maddy's willing to have Rhydian in her territory but her parents refuse. She wanted to see Rhydian succeed. In Stoneybridge not only would the Vaughns find the slower pace of life they needed, but Rhydian would get a better education. Bradlington High was a very good school, and the class sizes were way smaller than Rhydian's school in Newcastle. Here he could get the one-on-one attention he needed, especially since his time spent in the wild pack meant he was WAY behind in more than one or two subjects.

"Jana? Hello?" Matei waved his hand in front of his alpha's glazed-over eyes.

Jana flinched. "Sorry. I was just thinking. It's not Maddy I'm worried about, it's her parents. One of them has to be the alpha of Maddy's pack, and he or she is the one we'll need to be convincing. First things first, though—we make sure Maddy is sympathetic to our cause."

Matei nodded, giving Jana's shoulder a comforting rub. "Even from just our full moon run on Lindisfarne with her, Maddy looked like she could handle herself. She's got that same stubborn alpha nature, Jana. I think with her on our side, they'll let Rhydian live in their territory. It's going to be all right. And you know what I think?"

Jana rolled her eyes. "If I say I already do, does that mean you'll be quiet?"

Ignoring her, Matei barreled on. "I think that you're really more nervous about Rhydian being on his own, more isolated from the pack. You've grown a little protective of him. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were just a tad nervous that Maddy might give him some bad habits or become a bad influence." Matei eyed Jana and tugged on her hand, pulling them both to a stop. "Well…?"

The pretty redhead scowled. "You're annoyingly perceptive sometimes. Now will you stop it and let me focus?" Matei chuckled as Jana yanked her hand out of his. He rubbed her back good-naturedly and just walked by her side. That was the thing about Matei. Often he was unflappable, probably because having to look after his traumatized younger sister, Emilia, he'd had to be the one who always kept it together. Jana found her thoughts drifting back.

When Matei first came to my pack he was broken, Emilia even worse…and what was I? Just an upstart pack leader, having just overthrown my father. I hardly knew what I was doing, and then when those two fell in my lap... Wanting to help those two young wolfbloods who had just lost their parents had made Jana want to become a better pack leader. Not just for them, but for all her fellow wolfbloods. Over time Matei had changed, become more optimistic, more resilient in the nine months they'd known each other. And, much to her surprise, the young wolfblood alpha was starting to rely on him.

On one level that scared Jana. Terrified her. Her father Alric had always told her—'In the end you can't rely on anyone. Except yourself. That's what it means to be the pack leader.'

Jana angrily banished her father's words from her mind as she and Matei walked up to one of the students and asked about one 'Maddy Smith.'

"You can probably find her in the darkroom. She's pretty active in photography club," the younger student answered. Soon enough Jana rapped on the door. When the door swung open, she was a little surprised to find Maddy standing breathlessly behind a human girl with ginger-tinted hair braided into a ponytail, and with inquisitive eyes.

"Hi Maddy, can we talk?" Jana said.

"Who are you?" the ginger-haired girl butted in.

"My name's Jana. I'm Maddy's cousin." Come on, Maddy. Play along. Jana gave Maddy a look just as the ginger-haired girl glanced over at the brunette.

"Cousin?"

Maddy's face smoothed over, hiding her surprise. "Yes, Jana's a distant cousin. I forgot she was coming to visit. Jana, I'd like you to meet my friend Shannon Kelly."

The wolfblood and human shook hands, and then Jana helped Maddy make her excuses. Shan tried to ask if she could come, but Maddy intervened before Jana could reply.

"Sorry, Shan. It's been a long time since we've seen each other and I'd really like to catch up. I'll call you this evening, yeah?"

With a reluctant nod, Shan departed down the hallway. Maddy immediately locked onto both wolfbloods, bristling with suspicion.

"What's the brilliant idea, coming to my school and making me lie to my friend?" Maddy demanded.

Uhoh. This wasn't starting out well. Jana could see that Maddy was stressed about something. Perhaps they had caught her at a bad time? The red-haired alpha had even sensed some stress coming off of Shannon. Maybe Maddy and her human friend had been having an argument. Either way, Jana knew just the solution.

"We come in peace," Matei said grandly.

Jana frowned and punched her pack-mate hard in the shoulder. "You're such a cheeseball. Shut up." Turning back to Maddy, Jana flashed her brilliant white teeth. "We're here to let you know that Rhydian's moving with his foster parents to Stoneybridge next week. We, uh, had a few things we wanted to ask you about, relating to Rhydian's move here. I hope you don't mind?"

The way Maddy's face softened at the mention of Rhydian—well, Jana took it as a very encouraging sign.

"He's moving here next week?" Maddy's voice ended in a squeak of excitement. When Jana nodded, the cute brunette brightened up considerably. Still…Jana sensed some vestiges of deeper anxieties.

"Time soon enough to talk details. First, why don't you join us for a run, let our wolves stretch their legs a bit. You've got plenty of woods around here. What do you say, you game for it?"

At the prospect of having wolfbloods her age to run with, Maddy's whole face lit up. She was taking Jana by the hand and dragging her towards the football field before Matei could even quirk his eyebrow at Jana. Jana meanwhile grinned at her boyfriend. Well that was easy…poor girl doesn't have any other wolfbloods besides her parents.

The trio waited until the tree line hid them from sight. Then they morphed into their glorious, furry selves. Jana and Matei shot off like a pair of bullets. Maddy took a little longer to change—she still felt like a cub sometimes—and chased after them. Her snout brushed aside overhanging branches as she plunged ahead, trying to keep up. It wasn't that Jana and Matei were faster than she was. They were more experienced wolves who knew a few tricks, plus they were more coordinated and felt more at home in their wolf skin than Maddy did. So the brunette found herself struggling to keep up.

She crested a steep rise, trying to stop at the last second when she spotted a group of students goofing off in the woods. Crap. Four heads turned in her direction as she yelped, tumbling down into the ravine. Luckily all the underbrush, dirt, and fallen leaves clung to her fur and snowballed into a growing shell of camouflage by the time she hit bottom, slamming into the trunk of a tree.

Totally disoriented, Maddy was only dimly aware of the sound of the students walking towards her. Soon they would be at the 'crash site.'

"Did you see what it was?"

"It looked like a really big fox."

Maddy stiffened. Bloody hell. Could she risk running without being seen? Just then she relaxed as she heard Jana and Matei's voices.

"Hey, excuse me. We're looking for our dog. Have you seen anything run through here recently?" Matei's voice was helpfully loud. She listened as Jana and Matei explained to the kids about their 'lost dog,' and eventually the kids moved off. Still hearing her own heart beating so loudly it felt like she had to be holding it in her hands, Maddy changed back into human form and slowly stood up.

Jana and Matei climbed down the ravine. Jana gave Maddy a rueful grin.

"That was close, eh?"

Maddy nodded. "Too close for a wolf's comfort I'd say." Suddenly both of the older wolfbloods were laughing at her.

"What?" Maddy felt her cheeks go red.

Jana pointed. "You look like Bigfoot's little sister." Maddy reached up and realized she had an entire leaf pile stuck to her hair. Clods of dirt and big chunks of bark clung to her shoulders, sides, even her back…and her pants were smeared with so much mud you couldn't see their original blue.

"I look horrible," Maddy agreed with a giggle.

"Which is too bad, because we had a surprise for you. Rhydian's actually waiting to meet up with us at the café." Maddy turned white and her giggle stopped dead in its tracks.

"You're not serious."

Matei and Jana nodded soberly and Maddy turned even paler. "I can't go like this!" she said in despair. That only made Jana and Matei start chuckling all over again.

Matei elbowed Jana in the ribs. "See? I told you…she very much fancies him."

Jana piped up, "Don't panic, Maddy. There's a stream nearby…"

"Then I'll be soaking wet," Maddy almost howled.

Jana shrugged. "We'll find you a towel on the way?" she said hopefully. Matei shook his head with a grin.

NOT FAR AWAY…

Nearby, six wolfbloods keenly watched the tree line from their hiding place by the Bradlington High football field. They were in human form. One of them turned to their leader.

"What do you want us to do? Shall we go after them?"

The pack leader's lips curled into a faint smile. "No. We already know the boy is at the café. They'll join up with him sooner or later. For now we watch and observe. Rhydian might be the key, which is exactly why we wait. I want leverage over him."

"What kind of leverage?"

The alpha's teeth gleamed. "The most extreme kind there is."

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Taken Hostage - Part 1 of 2

Rhydian waited impatiently at Bernie's. He was getting tired of the owner's curious looks. I guess they don't have many newcomers in this town. He had already memorized the random posters on the wall, which just added to the café's old, cozy feel as weak sunlight filtered through the clouds. He took a sip of hot cocoa and tried to let the chocolaty goodness soothe his impatience, except the infusion of sugar just made him that much antsier. Damn it, it can't take that long to walk from Bradlington High. Is Jana in trouble? Did she and Maddy get into an argument? Maybe Maddy doesn't want me in her territory after all? Doubts and worries dovetailed so effectively that Rhydian didn't even notice when a certain wolfblood trio strode right through the café's front door.

"Rhydian!" The wolfblood boy stood up, grinning instinctively as he saw Maddy rushing for him.

The brunette practically leapt at him. She gave him a fierce hug that Rhydian returned with just as much force.

Maddy hadn't meant to be so…enthusiastic. When she'd seen the blue-eyed wolfblood, she just hadn't been able to help herself. Mads, you're in public. The girl's human side struggled to refocus her awareness even as her wolf blissfully took in Rhydian's scent and felt strangely giddy. Her human snapped her out of it though, and for good reason—the three K's, the queens of sniping gossip and feminine cruelty at Bradlington High, held court in the far corner, whispering furiously amongst themselves. Maddy leapt back the second Rhydian's hold loosened.

"Good to see you too," Rhydian said, still sporting a face-splitting smile. It wavered into a slight frown. "Why's your hair all damp? Did you just get out of the shower or something?"

Maddy bit her lip and looked away, trying not to blush. "It's a long story. You can ask Jana about it later," Maddy finished with an accusing glance towards the redhead.

"Shall we sit?" Jana said, trying to get Maddy to relax. Matei took up a chair beside Jana, and Maddy sat next to Rhydian.

As soon as they sat, Bernie rushed over to get their orders. After the heavyset man had retreated to a safe distance, the wolfbloods felt comfortable enough to talk openly.

"So, Maddy…" Jana began. "I was hoping you could tell us a little more bit about your family."

Maddy nodded. "My mum's name is Emma, and my dad's name is Dan. Emma is the alpha in our family. That's where I get my bossiness from."

Rhydian's eyebrows quirked. "You, bossy?"

Maddy elbowed him hard—tried to, anyway. He shifted, easily dodging the blow. Instead, with his playful wolf clearly in control, Rhydian looped an arm around Maddy and pulled her onto his lap.

"Let go of me," Maddy protested. But the self-confident wolfblood boy wouldn't give up that easily. He rather liked the feel of Maddy sitting on his lap, her hair smelling like it belonged to a goddess as her took in her scent.

"Stop squirming," Rhydian said. The young wolfblood sensed Maddy tensing up as her gaze slid over towards the three K's in the corner. Their furious whispers were now flying back and forth at blistering speed.

"Rhydian, stop," Maddy grumbled, but her tone didn't have the bite she'd intended. Rhydian whispered in her ear, not caring who saw them. His wolf had unexpectedly come roaring to the forefront, and it wanted to make one thing clear—this female wolfblood was his. Yep, in the primitive mind of his wolf he was staking a claim, and he didn't care who saw it—in fact, the more, the merrier.

She stilled on his lap as Rhydian's arms looped around her front, holding her tight. "You shouldn't care what other people think, Maddy. If you really want me to let you go, I will. If you're only saying it because we're in public, because you're letting your human side do all the feeling for you and not listening to your wolf, then…well, I'm not budging, smelly girl. Not even a little."

Maddy relaxed in his arms. Deep down, she had to admit—I don't want him to let go. But this is so embarrassing! She decided for a compromise, with a little of her alpha's temper coming out.

"If you let me go, I'll let you kiss me later. Otherwise you have five seconds until I slap you in the face. Five, four, three, two…"

Rhydian's arms flew outward as Maddy gratefully shifted back into her chair. She glared at Rhydian. Rhydian kept a carefully neutral face, but his eyes were laughing at her.

On the other side of the table Jana and Matei had watched the two younger wolfbloods with interest. A few silent looks, and with it unspoken questions, had passed between them. Finally Jana got Maddy back on track, getting her to tell them all about her family, about how the Smith clan had lived in Stoneybridge for generations.

First Jana coaxed a few answers from Maddy about Emma's attitudes, wanting to know what kind of alpha she was. Matei decided to cut to the chase.

"As you can probably tell, Maddy, what this all comes down to is this; do you think your mum will be supportive of having Rhydian stay in your territory? Do you think she'll support having Rhydian be part of your pack?"

"Let's not get carried away," Jana bristled. Her eyes flashed at Matei. "All she needs to do is tolerate Rhydian in her territory. There's no need for him to officially become part of Emma's pack." The temperature in the air around the table might as well have plummeted. Before she knew what she was doing, Maddy was reaching under the table and squeezing Rhydian's hand in hers.

"I don't see the problem with it," Maddy challenged. "I mean, why can't he be part of my family's pack? He's the only other wolfblood in Stoneybriddge, so we should look out for each other, and being officially part of the same pack will make that easier, yeah? Plus, Mum will be a lot more likely to be comfortable with Rhydian staying in our territory if she knows that Rhydian will listen to her as his alpha. It makes sense, Jana."

"First off, I didn't ask you," Jana said, her lips pursed into a thin line of disapproval. "Even if Rhydian lives among humans, I've still adopted him as one of my own. He's still part of my pack. Just because he's moving to a different town doesn't change any of that."

Seeing the situation start to unravel, Matei jumped in. "Why don't we hear what Rhydian has to say?" Maddy and Jana were glaring at each other like knives might fly from their eyes any second.

"Jana, I appreciate everything you've done for me," Rhydian began. "You taught me everything about what it means to be a wolfblood. You were family to me when I'd never known what it meant to have someone who gave a damn in my life. I'm grateful to you for that. For you—that you came into my life. And I always will be." Was that the beginnings of a tear on the wolfblood boy's face? He wiped at his eye before looking at Maddy, then at Jana.

"But you have a real pack, a wild wolfblood pack to care for, Jana. You and I both know that I've always been a sort of quasi-member of the pack. I know you mean well, but with me living in Newcastle apart from my mum and the rest of the pack, even if I'm technically part of your pack, in reality I've often felt, I don't know, like I don't really belong anywhere." Maddy and Jana's animosity vanished, forgotten as they listened to Rhydian pour out what he truly felt.

"I think Matei's question is a good one. Me actually being able to live near other wolfbloods is something that makes me almost, I don't know, happy…in a way I can't even describe." Maddy felt Rhydian's hand squeeze hers now. "If Maddy's mum accepts me, I'd like to become a full-fledged member of their pack." Jana opened her mouth to protest. "Maddy's right, Jana. Her mum will be more likely to accept me if we do it this way."

Matei put an arm around Jana's shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "He's right, Jana. I know you care about Rhydian and I know the temptation is not to ever let him go. But that's what we have to do here; this is Rhydian's life. We need to…you know, let him live it."

Jana's eyes were suddenly brimming with tears. She and Rhydian had been through so much even in the year and a month since they'd met. To have Rhydian leave her pack…it was like losing a beloved brother. Saving Rhydian from Alric had awakened Jana's potential, had taken her on the path that had made Jana the strong alpha she'd become. Having Rhydian in my pack reminds me of why I've come to this point. He represents where I want wolfbloods to be in the future, living alongside humans without fear. I don't want to lose that. To lose him. Jana tried to unscramble her disjointed thoughts.

As if reading her mind, Matei gently pulled her back into the present. "Jana, you act as if you're losing Rhydian by having him join another pack, but you're not. Rhydian will still be the same Rhydian. He still won't be too far away for you to visit him whenever you need to. You two will always be as close as any pack-mates."

Maddy gently raised her and Rhydian's joined hands onto the tabletop for Jana to see. "I'll look after him, Jana. I'll make sure he can make a good home here, do whatever I can to help him. You have my word on it." Maddy's beautiful face just looked so innocent and sincere, Jana's many misgivings couldn't stop from crumbling into a million pieces.

"You promise?" Jana said, swiping angrily at her newest tears. "You won't let anything happen to him? You'll be good to him?"

Maddy nodded vigorously. "I promise." Rhydian reached his other hand across the table, snagging Jana's as the three wolfbloods—Maddy, Rhydian and Jana—were briefly connected with Rhydian as the common bond between them.

"Please don't cry. Alphas never cry," Rhydian teased, grinning as Jana smacked him on the arm.

"Oh, shut up. This is so embarrassing," Jana groaned, snagging the tissue Matei offered as she blew her nose.

"He's already embarrassed me," Maddy chimed in, "so welcome to the club." Jana's eyes softened at Maddy's words and she nodded at the brown-eyed girl.

"I'm sorry I was so abrupt with you earlier…" Jana looked down at the table.

"No," Maddy quickly threw back. "It's all right. I know it's hard to say goodbye to someone you love, even if it's just temporary. I suck at goodbyes too."

Matei put a finger underneath Jana's chin, turning her head towards him as he gave her a soft yet insistent kiss. He could smell the fresh tears on her cheeks, and he didn't let it hold him back. He could feel the pull of her scent, the warmth of her breath. As he deepened the kiss he just wanted her to know Some things change, but other things never do. I will always love you, Jana. And I will always be here for you. When Matei finally pulled away, Jana's tears were completely gone. Her eyes were bright. Her breathing was steady and strong. She snuggled up beside his chair, and that was perfect timing because right then Bernie brought the four wolfbloods their food.

Down the street six wolfbloods strolled together, dressed like typical humans, vigilant. Waiting…

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Taken Hostage - Part 2 of 2

After they'd eaten at Bernie's, the four of them trekked out to the edge of town. Deep shadows waited underneath the canopy of the woods. Near the tree line, Jana, Matei, and Rhydian turned to say goodbye to Maddy.

Maddy frowned at Rhydian. "Even though you're moving here next week, I'll still hate having to wait. I still hate goodbyes," she admitted as her frown deepened.

Rhydian stepped in close. "Right back at you. To tide me over until next week, how about a kiss? As I recall, you did promise me one…"

"Yes but I didn't say when," Maddy said stubbornly, taking a step back as an evil smirk stole across her cute face.

Rhydian was about to argue passionately for his kissing privileges when a sudden wave of scents put all four wolfbloods on edge. They turned just in time to see six wolfbloods burst from the trees. The group's alpha was an obscenely tall, graceful woman with long, bright blonde hair that seemed to gleam like platinum. She landed in front of them, three wolfbloods to her right, two on her left. Her beta was a stocky, sober-looking wolfblood with humorless green eyes and a shaved head crisscrossed by scars.

Jana's eyes yellowed while bluish-black veins instantly fanned out across the fingers and wrists of both her hands.

"Who are you and what do you want?" the redhead growled.

"Our business is with Rhydian, not you" said the graceful woman. "I am Natasha Brezhnev. Who I work for is no concern of yours…but we have reason to believe that Rhydian's father has stolen something precious." Natasha's eyes narrowed as she focused all her attention on Rhydian alone. "We come with a request."

Rhydian's lips curled as he stifled a defiant reply. "What kind of request?"

"If Gerwyn contacts you, you will let me know immediately. It is a matter or extreme importance to all wolfbloods. If you care about your own kind, you will do this. Think of it as your duty." Natasha handed Rhydian a sleek, simple black-and-white business card with nothing but a paw print and a phone number.

"I don't even know you," Rhydian snarled. He let the anger of his wolf solidify. He tossed away the business card like a piece of used-up chewing gum.

Natasha's expression hardened. "True enough, you don't know me, and since I don't have the time to get you to trust me, I'll have to do whatever it takes to get the results I need. Will you cooperate or not?"

"Why should I? This isn't your territory. Are you actually threatening me?" Rhydian said, a low growl starting at the back of his throat. Black lines shot across his cheeks as his eyes took on a lurid sheen of topaz-amber.

Natasha gave a curt nod to one of her wolfbloods—the biggest, most muscular of the bunch. He exploded into motion, grabbing Maddy and twisting her around. His arm slid around her neck, choking her as she flailed and tried to kick him. Jana, Rhydian, and Matei all tensed to lunge as Maddy struggled.

"Not smart," Natasha hissed. "Konstantin will snap her neck like a twig." Maddy couldn't breathe. She thrashed and flailed even more desperately, but the wolfblood holding her was in his prime and way, way too strong. She could only look at Rhydian's helpless face turning to complete panic. He couldn't help her in time. None of them could.

"Maddy!" Rhydian cried. If anything happens to her, it'll be my fault. The wolfblood boy put up his hands. "Please don't hurt her! OK, I'll do what you ask! I swear!"

Natasha angrily jerked her head at Konstantin, who still gripped Maddy much too tightly. The sounds of her choking penetrated Rhydian's heart like a thousand stabs. Konstantin ever so slightly loosened his hold around Maddy's neck. Instead of blacking out, the wolfblood teen coughed and heaved in a precious gulp of air.

"You swear on your honor that you will do as I require? You will inform me as soon as possible if your father attempts to contact you?" Natasha said, her voice cracking like a barbed whip. Rhydian nodded, his eyes focused on Maddy's contorted face.

"Yes. I promise. Now please stop hurting her!" Natasha nodded again, and Konstantin released Maddy. The slender girl stumbled forward, still coughing as Rhydian caught her before she could fall. He wrapped her up in his arms as her head nestled against his shoulder. His hand stroked her silken hair as her hurt turned to anger. She growled and tried to whirl around to face the wolfblood who had attacked her. Rhydian just held her all the more tightly, whispering soothing words in the girl's ear.

"He's not worth it, Maddy. SHH. Just take deep breaths. Just breathe." I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt because of me, so please, just breathe.

Natasha's grimace held a trace of sorrow as she slowly backed up. Her pack-mates followed her lead. "I take no pleasure in doing what has to be done. Yet for the sake of all wolfbloods, Rhydian, you must do as I ask. If you betray your word, then those you care about won't be safe. Remember this."

As Natasha and her group vanished into the trees, Matei had to hold back his alpha. The fury in Jana's face scared him.

"I'll assemble the pack, we'll hunt those wretches down," Jana spat. "I'll make that blonde bimbo know what it means to feel real—"

The male wolfbloods were now holding back their alpha females, both of whom were chomping at the bit to pursue the wolfbloods who had accosted them from nowhere. Jana was the first to recover, her alpha instincts reminding her that to win any tough fight, you had to first be in control—not just lash out wildly. Focus, Jana. Analyze what happened BEFORE you act…or react. Jana took a few deep breaths, her arms going slack as Matei carefully loosened his grip. The yellow in her eyes winked out.

"Are you good?" he said. The concern on his face made her realize how frighteningly out of sync her wolf and human were just now. She nodded.

"I'm good now. Thanks Matei."

Maddy was still snarling, itching to break free of Rhydian's desperate grip. "Maddy, please. Maddy, stop." Finally the petite wolfblood girl stopped struggling. Tears ran down her cheeks as she sagged in his arms. She cried softly as Rhydian hugged her again, cupping her head with one hand as she cried into his shirt. It would be soaking-wet at this rate, but the wolfblood boy didn't care. He was just glad she hadn't completely wolfed out.

Meanwhile a hollow ache slammed right through Rhydian's chest.

No wonder we weren't able to find my dad. We weren't the only ones looking for him, and whatever he's into, it's serious. Rhydian sighed as he stroked Maddy's hair. He cupped her face and forced her to look at him. "Are you okay?" Her eyes were still filled with traces of anger and fear, like a victim recovering from shock, but she nodded and rested her cheek against his warmth again, closing her eyes and sighing, just melting in his arms. He kissed the top of her head, but in his mind he couldn't help dwelling in a darker place. I thought it was just a simple matter of tracking Gerwyn down and getting answers…why he left Mum, why he never came back… Rhydian found his heart splitting apart, anger and sadness battling for control. What's he gotten himself tangled up in? Had his mum Ceri been right? Were they better off without him? The thought now plagued him like a ruined dream.

Jana and Matei slowly nudged him back to awareness, pulling him from the wreckage of his thoughts.

"Rhydian, we should go," Jana said. Rhydian looked at Maddy, who already had a bruise forming across her neck. A nasty, ugly-looking bruise.

Jana cringed. How is Maddy going to explain that injury to her parents? What a great start this is going to be. If Emma thinks Rhydian is bringing trouble with him to Stoneybridge, what are the chances she'll let Rhydian stay in her pack's territory, let alone JOIN her pack?

Jana walked up to Maddy, but before she could say a word Maddy waved her off.

"It's okay, Jana. I'm a big girl. I'm not a cub. I'll find a way to handle this with my parents."

Jana's eyes searched hers. "What are you going to tell them?"

"I'll think of something. I won't jeopardize Rhydian's future—I'll make sure he can still join our pack. Just trust me," she said softly. Matei put a hand on Jana's shoulder before she could ask more probing questions. Sometimes, as an alpha, it was better not to put every single fear into words… Jana wondered, too—Why is it that Matei's simple presence helps me keep my head on straight? Jana went away with Matei hand-in-hand. They began walking towards the woods. Meanwhile Rhydian lingered with Maddy for a bit longer.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

Maddy nodded. "I guess now we know why your dad was so spooked when I met him on Lindisfarne."

Rhydian's brow furrowed. "Yeah. Guess my dad really is worthless. Infamous, to be exact. I guess I'm better off without him."

To Rhydian's surprise, Maddy put a hand to his cheek. The feather-light touch of her fingers stroking his face calmed him to the very core. "You don’t know that. You don't know what's happened, so don't jump to conclusions. If Gerwyn does try to contact you, just do what you feel is right."

"I'm not putting you in danger again," Rhydian said harshly. Before Maddy could even squeak out a startled gasp, Rhydian had captured her in his firmest hug. He nuzzled her hair, taking a deep whiff of her oddly mixed scent—woodsy with a hint of watermelon. He suspected the latter was definitely her shampoo. Even though the two wolfbloods still hardly knew each other, the wolves inside them had already bonded stronger than any outward human relationship would show. That was the unseen side of being a wolfblood—sometimes your wolf knew things, sensed things, before you did. The intense attraction Rhydian felt for Maddy, he couldn't articulate it in words, and if he had, he would have felt self-consciously silly doing it. But his wolf? His wolf knew as surely as it could sense things far too subtle for any human to notice. And a wolf's instincts never lied…

"Rhydian, I can't breathe." Rhydian relaxed his grip as Maddy's face tried for a smile. "I meant what I said. You should do what you feel is right. If your dad needs your help and you want to help him—"

"Maddy, please don't." Rhydian's hands clenched. How could she say that after what had just happened? Konstantin could have broken her neck in a heartbeat. Rhydian just stood there and marveled at the plucky, petite wolfblood girl in front of him. How are you being so brave right now when you could have died? Rhydian grasped her wrists and tugged her towards him as his mouth found hers. The kiss was slow, gentle, infinitely patient as he relished the softness of her lips. When he pulled away he could barely speak.

"Whatever happens with me and my dad, I am NOT willing to do anything that puts you in danger. That's not ever negotiable, smelly girl. Am I clear?"

Maddy nodded shyly as their hands drifted apart. She was still blushing from the kiss as she turned sideways and jabbed a thumb in Stoneybridge's direction. "I should probably be getting back…"

Rhydian turned to go, because if he didn't go now he might just kiss the lips off of her. The more he saw that bruise on her neck, the more it was driving him crazy and he just wanted to comfort her. And all the while his wolf was seething. I should have protected her. I should have kept her safe! He could try to tell his wolf that it wasn't his fault, but his wolf was having none of it.

Back at the tree line, he met up with Matei and Jana. They were about to morph into their wolves and head back towards Newcastle when Matei put up his hand.

"You two go ahead. I'll hang back for a minute. Don't worry, I'll catch up." Jana stopped in mid-shift, her black-blue veins fading away.

"Hanging back? What for?" Jana said.

Matei glanced back in Maddy's direction. The young wolfblood girl was still standing there in the field, facing towards the village but not moving. "I just want to have a few words with Maddy, that's all."

Jana's right eyebrow quirked up like a question mark. She hurled the unspoken thought. Rhydian already spoke to her, and besides, she's young but she's tough too, with an alpha's heart.

Matei stared her down. "What? Don't give me that look, Jana. Looks can be deceiving. Maddy looks okay, but what if she's not? A person can look completely fine, say she's completely fine, and be anything but fine."

The redhead's pretty face froze as reality hit her like a punch to the gut. Matei's not talking about Maddy, he's talking about Emilia. Matei's younger sister had for a while pretended to recover from the loss of their parents when they'd first joined Jana's pack. Then Emilia had tried to kill herself a month later. He was right. You couldn't be too safe. If Matei wanted to check on Maddy because he was concerned she was pretending, just like Emilia, who was she to criticize?

The alpha girl walked over to Matei and rested her forehead gently against his. She took a deep breath. Not a word passed between them, but the wolfblood girl's gesture said exactly what Jana needed Matei to hear. I'm sorry, Matei. You're right. Go talk to her. I'll trust your judgment. As Matei walked back towards Maddy, Jana turned towards Rhydian, ignoring the blue-eyed wolfblood's curious look.

"Come on," Jana said. "He'll catch up. Let's go." Meanwhile, as she and Rhydian changed into their wolves and dashed through the woods, her thoughts stayed remarkably human. Who is Natasha Brezhnev? Who does she work for? What did Gerwyn supposedly steal, and what does she plan to do to him? One way or another, Jana was hell-bent on sinking her fangs into the truth.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Surviving the Parents

Maddy really didn't want to open that door. She dreaded it. Each step she took up her family's front walk, the girl found her feet getting heavier and heavier.

They're going to flip out. The bruise on her neck looked bad. No, it looked awful. If only she'd been injured near the time of the full moon, when a wolfblood's healing abilities were at their peak, it wouldn't have been a problem. If only it were like Lindisfarne…she could have just morphed into her wolf, then changed back into human form with her parents being none the wiser.

How much do I tell them? The more I try to minimize what happened, the more it'll make them freak out. Her options were limited. Maddy closed the front door behind her, slid her shoes off and walked through the kitchen to get to the stairs and—hopefully—her bedroom before Emma or Dan could spot her. Both her parents were huddled over the stovetop, cooking something that smelled delicious, like it involved five types of meat. Maddy's stomach yowled in protest as she hurried by.

"Hey Mum, hey Dad," Maddy tossed out casually as she snuck through.

"Hi Pet," Emma said.

"Welcome home," Dan said, still stirring what looked to be a meat stew. He didn't look up, and Emma was too engrossed seasoning the tenderloins.

"I'm going to take a shower," Maddy called as she started scrambling up the stairs.

"Don't be too long," Emma called. "Dinner ready in 15 to 20."

Maddy tossed her rucksack on the bed and dashed into her bathroom. She turned on the shower, threw off her clothes. It took a good couple minutes for the water to warm up, and in the meantime Maddy felt the sub-zero temperature of the bathroom tiles like icicles on her feet. She was hopping on one foot, then the other, impatiently waiting for the water to heat up. She was all too aware that by taking a shower now all she was doing was putting off the inevitable.

When I go downstairs for dinner, Mum and Dad are going to notice my neck. Ugh! Still, Maddy found that sometimes she did her best thinking in the shower. With her muscles and mind relaxed under the assault of hot water spraying at just the right amount of pressure, the right frame of mind usually came, and with it a good idea or two.

Maddy stepped into the caressing spray of the water. The second the hot spray hit her forehead, it was like she somehow had access to a whole new part of her brain. Her anxieties just sloughed away, going down the drain the same as the water pooling at her feet. Now she could just focus on the problem at hand, which in a nutshell all came down to this – Don't let what happened today ruin Rhydian's chances of Mum accepting him into our pack. As she stood in the shower, Maddy decided on a plan. Sometimes the best plan was a simple plan. Whatever happened, she knew that there was only one piece of information she would NOT share with her parents no matter what. Okay, maybe two. Other than that, though, Maddy would tell them the truth. In her head Maddy nicknamed it the "98% Truth" approach. As she'd learned with her parents long ago, trying to completely stonewall them was a very bad idea. Still, it didn't mean she had to tell them everything either…

She must have lost track of time, because there was a sudden knock on her bathroom door.

"Maddy! Dinner's ready." Emma peeked her head into the bathroom only to be greeted by a billowing cloud of steam.

"Maddy?"

"I heard ya, Mum. I'm getting out. Keep your pants on, I'll be right down."

"What's this?" she heard her Mum mutter before she closed the door and stepped back out. In that instant Maddy didn't think much of it, but she would soon discover her grave mistake.

The slender girl turned off the water and stepped out. She wrapped her torso in a purple bath towel and turned on the blow dryer just long enough for her hair to go from soaking to damp. She stepped out to find a change of clothes in her bedroom, and that's when it all fell apart. What Maddy hadn't noticed was that the shirt Jana had lent her after she'd gotten muddy in the woods was no longer on the bathroom floor. What Maddy failed to realize was that Emma had seen the shirt—one she hadn't recognized—and picked it up, being the curious alpha she was.

Now, as Maddy entered her bedroom, she was surprised to discover Emma standing next to her bed with Jana's borrowed shirt in her hand.

"Maddy, what's this? Where did you get this and why do I smell another wolfblood's scent all over it?"

Before Maddy could stammer a reply Emma's eyes seemed to grow twice as big. Maddy's shoulders and neck were completely bare, of course, after her shower—and the blue-black bruise along her neck showed like someone had permanently branded her skin. Emma's mouth hit the floor as she hastened forward. 

"Oh Pet, what on earth happened?" Maddy flinched as Emma immediately of course had to touch her injury.

"OW! Mum!" Maddy let Emma herd her over to the bed. Her alpha mother was already forcing her to sit. "You stay right here. I have a salve that should help it heal faster."

Thinking of her Mum's rescue remedy with a shudder, Maddy called out at her mom's retreating figure, "It better not stink." Sure enough, when Emma brought a vial of some dark-brown gel-like substance back into the bedroom and started spreading it along Maddy's neck, the smell nearly made Maddy lose her appetite.

"Ugh! Mum, what do you put in this stuff? It smells horrible."

Emma just shushed her daughter, gently applying the gel-like paste to Maddy's skin. "It contains several types of rare tree sap. It's a variation of rescue remedy meant to be topical rather than ingested, focused on healing the body rather than the mind. Now hold still." Maddy squirmed, wiggling her nose as she tried to get used to the stench. Whatever this salve had in it, the stuff smelled like it came from a sewage plant. And that was the least of Maddy's problems.

"So...start talking, Pet. Tell me what happened." Emma said.

Caught unawares, Maddy's instinctual response was the exact wrong thing to say.

"I just fell…it's no big deal, Mum. It's really not worth getting into a big tizzy ov—"

"Daniel, I need you. Our daughter's been attacked."

"Attacked?! Mum, wait!" Maddy cried. Great, I try to lie to Mum and now she's jumping to the worst conclusions! Dan burst through the door. He saw Maddy sitting on the bed with that nasty bruise knifing across her neck. His expression hardened. It was like someone had lit a match behind his eyes. He walked over to stand beside his wife, and the two parents both leveled Maddy with a combined attack of expectant stares.

"You did not fall down to get a bruise like that, Madeline. This is serious." Emma handed Dan the shirt which Jana had lent to Maddy. "I also found this on the floor." Dan sniffed it, his figure tensing up as he recognized the scent of a strange wolfblood permeating the cloth.

Dan frowned. "Madeline?" There it was again—'Madeline.' When both of her parents were using her full, formal name instead of Maddy, the wolfblood teen knew that she was one short step away from screwed. Or grounded. Or both.

"Mum, Dad," Maddy looked up pleadingly, not sure where to even begin. "He saved me." That much was true, technically.

Emma and Dan waited for their daughter to elaborate, but it was hard not to prod. "I got attacked by a wolfblood trespassing in our territory when I was walking out in the woods, and this wolfblood boy my age—he's moving with his human foster parents to Stoneybridge next week—he happened to be in the area scouting things out and we bumped into each other, and he wanted to see if he could come meet you guys, pay his respects, you know, get your formal approval for being in our territory," Maddy said in a rush. "The wolfblood who attacked me, Rhydian scared him off. He saved me." 

"Rhydian?" Dan said. Emma sat down beside her daughter and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Can you describe the wolfblood who attacked you, Pet? We need to make sure he doesn't come back."

Now Dan piped up. "Do you have any idea why he attacked you? Was he disheveled, did he look almost wild?"

Maddy knew she had to be very careful what she said next. "He didn't look wild, no. Look, I think I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think he's a threat to us."

"Is it possible that he was after this boy you just happened to run into?" Emma probed. Oh, bloody hell. This line of questioning was way too close to the truth for Maddy's comfort. Her mind raced for what to say.

"No. Rhydian had never seen him before, I could tell."

"Were there other wolfbloods about? Was the wolfblood who attacked you on his own?"

Maddy's cute face froze up with indecision. "Umm, well Rhydian's pack alpha was with us too. Her name's Jana, and she had another pack-mate with her. They helped Rhydian scare off the wolfblood who attacked me." Because Maddy decided she had to stick to the truth as closely as possible, she added: "The wolfblood who attacked me had his alpha and some pack-mates with him too. They called him 'Konstantin' I think. His alpha told him to release me, though, and he let me go. And then they left."

Emma's eyes narrowed. "And neither this Konstantin nor his pack mentioned why they put you in a chokehold? He just came up and grabbed you?"

A sudden burst of inspiration helped Maddy find the right words. "They were looking for another wolfblood, I don't know who. They must have thought I was the one, and that's why they must have grabbed me. That's all I know." Maddy suddenly felt exhausted, and not just from telling her parents half-truths and little lies. The memory of the strong wolfblood's arm around her throat, cutting off her air… It suddenly felt all too real again. Maddy teared up. She involuntarily reached her hand to her throat as she started to cry.

"He threatened to break my neck. He was so strong…I couldn't…I was helpless. If Rhydian hadn't been there I don't know what I would have…" Maddy's words trailed away as she blinked away more tears.

"SHHH, it's all right, Pet. You're all right." Emma hugged her daughter and Dan proceeded to hug the two females he loved more than anything in the whole, wide world. Surrounded by the scent of her parents, her only pack, it gave Maddy an immediate boost of strength. She felt her breathing steady, her heart calmed. So of course the teen began to act like a typical teen.

"Guys, get off of me. I need to get dressed," she whined. Emma and Dan reluctantly drew back.

Emma gave her daughter one more appraising look, as if deciding whether to ask one last question. She seemed to decide better of it. Emma looked over at Dan." Did you leave the stew on?"

Dan's eyes flashed with alarm. He sprinted out of the room, and Emma was about to leave too, but she came rushing back as Maddy stood up. She cupped her daughter's face in her hands.

"You should have told us immediately what happened when you came home, Pet. Don't scare me like that again. Don't try to lie to us so that we won't worry. I'm your Mum, it's my job to worry about ya—so don't you forget it. Now promise me, Pet. Promise me you'll be more careful and stay clear of the woods until we can get this sorted out. Better yet, from now on, you stay in the village unless there's a special reason to go out, and if you do, you get permission from me or your father first. Promise me you'll do as I ask."

Maddy hated to do it, but what choice did she have? Her Mum's agonized face was filled with so much care and concern, plus Maddy already felt so guilty that she'd withheld tidbits of the truth.

"Yes, Mum. I promise." Maddy nodded her head as her mom gave her one last hug.

"All right then. Put some clothes on and come down for dinner." Emma paused at the doorway's threshold, turning back. "I love you."

"Love you too, Mum." Maddy wiped at her eyes. Well, that could have gone better. But it could have gone worse too. Maddy heard her smart phone buzz. She and Rhydian had exchanged numbers at Bernie's. She eagerly picked up the phone, hoping it was from him—but instead it was from the last person Maddy wanted to see right now. Tom Okanawe.

Mads. I need to talk to you. Tonight.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Jana's Gamble

While Maddy goes to meet with Tom, elsewhere, just outside Stoneybridge…

Natasha did it even though it was unusual for any alpha to do—she split up her pack as they headed through the woods. Her goal of finding Gerwyn hadn't been reached, but after the encounter with Gerwyn's son, Rhydian, the alpha felt secure that the boy would cooperate. She would never forget the fear in his eyes when Konstantin had grabbed the slender, brown-eyed girl named Maddy. She's his wolf's mate for sure, whether his human recognizes it or not.

Yet the memory of the recent encounter deeply troubled the alpha for an entirely different reason.

She took a detour to a secluded clearing with just Samuel, her beta in the pack. She'd ordered the rest of her pack to continue on to Newcastle. Samuel's dour face looked all the more bleak thanks to his shaved head. His face crinkled curiously.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Listen—when we get back I want you to put Konstantin on permanent desk duty. His days as an enforcer for Segolia are over." 

Samuel blanched. "Whatever for?"

The tall, muscular woman cocked her head as her ice-blue eyes flared with unexpected heat. "Is it your place to question your alpha?" She bared her teeth and Samuel instantly lowered his chin. She calmed herself enough to explain anyway.

"After observing Rhydian, we knew Maddy was his weakness, and I specifically told Konstantin to grab her on my signal, and only if he proved difficult. What I did NOT approve was harming her—which he did. That chokehold was far beyond necessary. He nearly had her blacking out. He nearly crushed her throat, Samuel."

The beta's stocky shoulders rose and fell with a big shrug. "He was overzealous, Natasha. I hardly see how—"

"And that is why you are a beta, and not an alpha," Natasha hissed. "He could have seriously injured her." 

"Forgive me for being blunt, Mistress, but you have always been brutal to your enemies and those you view as a threat. Victoria Sweeney learned it the hard way. How can it be Konstantin's fault if he is following the same zealotry he sees modeled in his own pack leader? Can you blame him?"

There was a loud smack as Natasha's hand slammed into Samuel's face. He staggered to his knees, the blow making his ears ring. His vision swam as he slowly stood back up.

"There are rules and there are unwritten rules, Samuel. You have been my beta long enough to know this. Those wolfbloods were hardly older than cubs, to me they may as well have been cubs. It is a law in my pack that we do not harm the innocent. Do I use harsh tactics to get what I want? Yes. Do I manipulate and coerce when need be? Of course, what fool wouldn't when the stakes are high? But I will never, EVER sanction the harming of an innocent cub. The girl with Rhydian was an innocent, and Konstantin should have known his limits. There is no excuse for it, Samuel, don't even attempt to question me. Konstantin's future in Segolia is that of a pencil-pushing pup. End. Of. Discussion."

Properly chastened by the anger of his alpha, Samuel nodded and tried to forget the lingering sting of her slap.

"Come, then. Let us rejoin the pack," Natasha said. But just as they were turning to go, a rustling of leaves made them both tense up. There was no other warning—only an explosion of fur flying out of nowhere from the foliage. A red-haired wolfblood flanked by two male wolfbloods, all in wolf form, burst from the trees like perfectly-fired arrows.

Natasha barely had time to change before Jana was on her. The fury in the alpha redhead had boiled over, and it showed the instant Jana chomped down on Natasha's shoulder. Blossoms of agony flared through Natasha's body as blood filled Jana's mouth. Jana's wolf didn't hesitate. She relished taking first blood.

The sturdy blonde alpha had time to feel disgust with herself. I underestimated this young alpha because of her age…Who knew she'd have the gall to go after an alpha older and stronger… I should never have split up my pack. And now, strong as Natasha was, she was outnumbered and at a disadvantage thanks to Jana's element of surprise. Bloodlust now made Jana see in only one color—ruby red.

You threaten my pack, I make you suffer. Jana had discovered the divergent trails of scent from the wolfbloods who had accosted Jana, Matei, Rhydian, and Maddy back at the woods' edge. She had sharper senses than most wolfbloods, and she wasn’t timid about using them—even taking a risk by relying on them. She had followed Natasha’s scent, and when she'd realized that the alpha’s scent had diverged from the bulk of her pack, she’d taken the bold move. The reckless move. Now there was no holding back.

Natasha tried to outflank Jana using her longer limbs to bat at Jana’s head. But Jana was too quick for her, nimbly dodging and sinking her teeth through one of Natasha’s ears. Unexpected pain tore through the blonde’s face as Jana yanked hard, pulling the silver-furred wolfblood off balance. She tipped over, snarling, trying to get back to her feet as now Rhydian attacked. He bit her exposed belly, ripping a terrible, keening howl from Natasha as the blonde wolfblood threatened to slip into shock.

Meanwhile Matei prevented Samuel from helping his alpha. He slammed into Samuel as he tried desperately to reach her. Natasha valiantly strained to get upright, but with Jana rending her ear off and Rhydian’s second bite tearing into her vulnerable underbelly, the blonde woman felt pain coursing everywhere. As shock tore through Natasha’s system, the alpha slipped back into her human form. Blood seeped from her stomach in two places. More blood gushed from her ear as she groaned and didn’t dare move.  

Just inches from her face, Jana bared her fangs. Her eyes gleamed with a slowly cooling fury, still full of venom. Gradually the redhead transitioned back into human form just like Natasha, but none of the other wolfbloods moved. Rhydian kept his fangs hovering over Natasha’s chest, ready to puncture the soft, human tissue like a knife through wrapping paper.

The younger alpha's intensity mesmerized Natasha. She leaned over the panting, badly wounded woman.

Jana's eyes flared like orbs of green fire. "Now that I’ve got your attention, Natasha, we need to talk, and this time I get to make the requests."

BACK IN STONEYBRIDGE…

A thin figure paced back and forth along the front curb of the Smiths' house. Moonlight filtered through the clouds like silvery sunlight. It was late, which meant Emma and Dan were thankfully asleep.

Maddy normally didn't feel the night chill, but right now goose bumps were riding up and down her arms. Of course it didn't help that she was in her pajamas, her turquoise tank top made of material about as thin as a reed. It also didn't help that most of her body's energy was going towards healing her neck wound rather than keeping her warm…

She turned as she caught the whiff of a familiar aroma—Tom. The lanky, athletic boy she'd known since childhood walked up to her with both hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Hey, Mads."

"Hey," Maddy replied, putting her hands on her hips. "I snuck out of my bedroom in the middle of the night, so this better be good. If my parents catch me…ugh, I'm already walking on cracked ice. We can't be long, Tom. So…what do you want?"

"Something I don't deserve," he blurted. Tom hung his head in shame. He struggled until he could finally meet her eyes. He drew his hands from his pockets and threw her this look of longing that rooted her to the spot as if she'd been pierced by a sword.

"I…I've been a terrible friend. No, not just that…a terrible person. The shock of finding out that you were a—a wolfblood, it's no excuse, Mads. I know you. We've been best mates almost our whole lives. You're my Mads. You're the pluckiest girl I know. You're smart, full of mischief, full of courage, you know your own mind and you know the right thing to do ninety-nine times out of a hundred." Tom sighed, looking away as tears slipped from his eyes—tears which, if Maddy wasn't mistaken, looked like tears of grief-fueled self-loathing.

"And what did I do, back on Lindisfarne, when you really, really needed me, Mads?" Tom threw up his hands, his face scrunched up with inward disgust. "I abandoned you. I didn't think of you as Mads, I thought of you as an 'it'. As if the girl I've always known had suddenly become something else, when you were just the same girl I've always known, just asking for the understanding of her best friend." Tom formed a fist with one hand and punched the palm of his other hand. "I mean, that's the whole point of a best friend. Not to just have someone stand by you when things are going well, or when minor problems comes up—but to really have someone stand by ya when you need it more than anything else in the world. And that's exactly what you needed, Mads. I had the opportunity to show you what a true friend I was, and I failed. I failed spectacularly…"

Tom choked back a sob. "I'm a total failure as not just a friend, but as a human being. There are total strangers who might have shown more compassion for you than I did. I shouldn't have judged, Mads…and for that, I'm sorry most of all." He looked away, struggling to say new words that just refused to come.

Maddy decided it was time to venture in a word edgewise. "Are you asking for…for my forgiveness…after weeks of not saying a word to me and avoiding me at every turn?" Tom nodded miserably. His posture looked so dejected, he reminded her of a wilted weed. Maddy bit her lip, emotion surging into her tone, raw, uncensored.

"Do you have any idea what it felt like?" Maddy stormed. "The moment I really needed you to just be understanding, to just be open-minded and care about me, you totally freaked out and confirmed my worst fears. You just confirmed my parents' paranoia of being dead-set against revealing our wolfbood secret to any human—even the ones I most wanted to trust! And then to have my best mate just STOP talking to me, Tom. To act like I was some monster. Do you know what that felt like?" Damn it, now Maddy realized her tears were mirroring Tom's.

Tom took a tentative step forward, almost into Maddy's space. "I promise, Mads, I will never let you down again. I'll never fail you like that ever again. You mean so much to me. I never want to put our friendship in jeopardy. It's too precious to me." Tom was normally never this eloquent. This was like spotting a unicorn running down main street. Maddy gasped.

"Why should I believe you, Tom? You've shut me out for weeks now, so what made you change your mind?"

Tom groaned this mighty sigh of pent-up frustration. "I avoided you because I didn't know how to face you, after how I acted…on Lindisfarne. And the more I searched my own feelings, I realized that I let my insecurity affect how I reacted. I was so focused on how you'd 'kissed' some guy after just agreeing to be my girlfriend, that I let my jealousy and hurt justify this trumped-up feeling of betrayal I wanted to nurture, about you not telling me earlier what you truly were, being a wolfblood. But of course you had your reasons for not telling me, I understand that now." Tom sat down on the curb and put his face in his hands.

His muffled voice continued. "I don't care if you kissed another guy or not. Whatever happened between you and that other guy, I don't know the full story anyway. What I do know is that all I want, all I care about, is getting back my best friend." With a shudder, and a choked-back sob, Tom drew his hands away and looked up at Maddy.

Maddy's tears were flowing freely too as the friends exchanged a look that had breakthrough written all over it.

Maddy's words slipped out as the next tears made her vision blur. "I've missed you."

"Does that mean…?" Tom stood up. The first hopeful look of the night glimmered in his eyes.

"If I get to beat you up, punches, kicks, the whole bit, then maybe…" Maddy sniffled as her nose began to run. She swiped at it with her wrist, then sniffled some more. "And now look, you made me cry. You are now officially the biggest butt."

Tom walked towards her. "Punch away. If it makes you feel better, kick me right here." He pointed at his crotch. "But if you do that, I'll insist on it making us even. Someday I might want to, ya know…"

"Have kids?" Maddy said with a smirk.

Tom grinned. "Maybe." Smiling with the tears still glistening in their eyes, the two friends erased the gap separating them. Tom enclosed her petite figure in a big, enthusiastic hug. She took a deep breath as her face burrowed into his chest. She soaked up his earthy male scent. He didn't trigger sparks like Rhydian did, yet Tom was the closest thing Maddy had ever had to a brother. They slowly drew back apart. She smiled, wiping at her eyes as Tom leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead.

"So you forgive me for being a daft, bloody idiot?"

The wolfblood girl nodded, bit her bottom lip. "Yes, but let's not make a habit of it, okay?"

Tom picked her up and swung her in a big circle as she squealed in surprise. Maddy was so caught up in the moment that she didn't even think about how her high-pitched sound would probably wake the dreaded parental wolfbloods not far away…

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Maddy's Confession

No sooner had Tom put Maddy back down on her own two feet, a light appeared like a giant firefly behind the Smiths' bedroom window.

Oh, bollox. My parents are awake. After today's ups and downs Maddy just wanted this day to be over. She froze and Tom shifted awkwardly.

"Uh, well Mads, it looks like I should get going."

Maddy caught the sleeve of Tom's jacket as he tried to leave. "No, Tom. Stay. Come inside for a bit."

Tom looked alarmed. "Are you saying that you…?"

"We may as well tell them what you know. I'm tired of lying to them, or omitting important stuff, which is pretty much the same as lying in most cases." The pretty brunette took Tom by the hand and guided him up the front walk. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything, Mads."

"Let me do most of the talking, yeah?"

Tom snorted and shook his head with a bemused look. "Did you really think I had anything else in mind?"

The two friends walked up the front walk as Daniel Smith opened the door and stepped out to intercept them. He did a double-take when he saw Tom standing there—and Maddy in just her tank top and pajama bottoms.

"Good evening Tom." They all three glanced up as a gust of wind rustled the upper branches of the nearby birch trees. Moonlight bathed the front yard when the clouds parted. The sudden added light shone at just the right angle on Maddy's neck.

"Maddy, what happened to your neck?" Tom said. Maddy touched it self-consciously.

"Long story. Why don't we step inside? Dad, there's something me and Tom need to discuss with you and Mum."

"Oh?" Dan said, becoming tight-lipped as he opened the door. But his eyes surveyed the two teenagers with ample suspicion.

Maddy knew this was a bit of a gamble, but she liked it a whole lot better than the alternatives. Mum's right. I can't just hold back the truth from them because I don't want to stress them out, or because I don't think they can handle it. They're my parents and they're the only other wolfbloods I've ever known, at least until recently…I can't try to juggle everything on my own. Maddy was still struggling with the need to no longer feel like a cub—which meant handling her own problems her way—while reminding herself that asking for help didn't automatically make her cub-like either. Sometimes life had a way of being much more complicated than her emotions pretended.

As they stepped through into the cozy kitchen, Emma had just rushed down the stairs in her sleep robe and slippers. She folded her arms with a stern look at the ready.

"May I ask what you were doing outside in the cold after midnight, young lady? And Tom, really, you should know better. What were you doing out with my daughter at this late hour, hmm?" Before the alpha wolfblood could toss out any more questions, accusations, or commands, Maddy found the words tumbling right out.

"Mum, Dad—Tom knows about wolfbloods." Her parents stiffened right on cue, and Maddy prayed she'd made the right decision. Knowing my luck, I'm grounded for like a century…or two.

"Look, I know this is awkward," Tom said sheepishly. "I just want you both to—"

"Have a seat at the table, Tom." Emma sighed. "Dan, will you make us some tea? No, better make it coffee. I'm not expecting sleep anytime soon." Emma waited for the two teens to take a seat side-by-side at the kitchen table, then plopped in the chair across from Maddy while Dan puttered about the granite countertop.

Tom couldn't help himself. He scooted his chair closer to Maddy's and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. As nervous as he was, he hated how he'd put Maddy in this awkward position by coming out here tonight and insisting on talking with her. If it weren’t for him, they wouldn't be trapped in the Smiths' kitchen about to be grilled by a potentially very irate werewolf—or what did Maddy say the proper name was? Wolfblood?

"Look, Mrs. Smith…"

"Call me, Emma, Tom. You've known my daughter since you were small. I think we can throw out formalities by now, don't you?"

Tom gulped. "Yes…Emma. I just want to explain, none of this is—" Emma's hand slammed onto the tabletop palm-down with a startling SMACK. Tom jumped in his seat. Maddy flinched.

"Tom, with all due respect, I'd like to hear from my daughter about why you are now the only known human who knows about our kind. I'd like to hear why she shared the most important secret she'll ever have, because Tom, and I mean this without any ill will towards you because you've been a great friend to Maddy all these years—the secret of wolfbloods is bigger than you or me or even this family. This is something which, if it ever got out, could literally destroy us and ALL wolfbloods on the planet. Do you understand?"

Tom was nodding faithfully. His mouth had gone bone-dry. It was a good thing he didn't have the urge to pee, because if he had, he might have already wet his pants.

Dan handed Emma a mug of coffee and rubbed his wife's back with a gentle whisper. "Emma, sweetheart, why don't we let our girl tell us what happened before we bite their heads off."

Emma softened, reaching up a hand over her shoulder to clasp Daniel's. "You're right." She returned her attention fully to Maddy. "I'm sorry, cub. Go ahead. I'm listening."

UGH! I'm not a cub! Maddy didn't let her inward groan of frustration show. Instead, she took a deep breath and told her parents almost everything which had happened that night on the Isle of Lindisfarne. About how Tom had helped cover for her, about how she'd met Rhydian and his pack. The only thing she stubbornly left out was any mention of the wolfblood Gerwyn. Given Mum's reaction from earlier, she decided not to push her luck. Maybe there was something to be said for measuring out the truth in manageable doses.

"So…that's the whole story," Maddy finished. Tom stubbornly curved his arm around Maddy and pulled her a bit closer. He gathered up the courage to look a little indignant as he addressed Maddy's parents too.

"I haven't told a soul about Maddy being a wolfblood, not even Shan. I've kept my word to Maddy. To the grave I'd take this secret. I mean it."

Dan had been thoughtfully stroking his beard and now he asked Tom: "So is this why you and Maddy haven't been speaking recently. Why Maddy's been coming home moping half the time. Because you found out Maddy was a wolfblood and didn't know how to react after finding out that your best friend was a 'creature'?"

"No!" both teens cried in unison.

"It's more complicated than that," Maddy hastened to add.

Tom felt a blush creeping up his neck. "It also had to do with Maddy and me dating briefly, and me getting jealous. That was more the reason we weren't speaking…because of my own idiocy. The wolf…wolfblood thing took a while for me to process, but I swear I never even considered violating Maddy's secret. I would never do anything to put Maddy in harm's way. You guys have to know that."

"Wait. You were dating my daughter?" Dan's eyes flickered a dangerous sheen of yellow.

"Dad!" Maddy sprang up from her chair and rushed around the table. "Let's not get sidetracked, yeah?" She put her arms around her father and kissed him on the cheek to distract him. "Besides, it's ancient history. Tom and I have decided to go back to being best mates. That's why I was outside meeting with Tom, we were patching things up and restoring our friendship—and then I got too excited, woke you guys up…and here we are."

Emma threw her daughter a sharp look. "That still doesn't answer WHY you didn't tell us about Tom's role or Rhydian's pack immediately when you got back from Lindisfarne. After that nightmare of a storm stranded you on the island, your father and I were worried sick about you. And this was your reaction, to keep more things from us?" Emma's frustration filled the room like a fog. "How can we trust you if you keep not telling us important things, Maddy?"

Maddy groaned. "It's exactly because of what you told me earlier today that I'm fessing up. You told me not to ever keep things from you just because I thought it was best not to worry you and Dad. Well, this is me changing. Following your advice. Are you going to now hit me over the head for a mistake I know I made, which I'm trying to set straight?"

Dan rolled his eyes, sensing alpha-female drama on the way. He was right too.

Emma surged to her feet. Her eyes turned luminous yellow. Tom pretended not to exist.

"Yes, Maddy, I'm thankful that you finally decided to open up to us. But what else aren't you telling us, cub? What other things have you gotten mixed up in, hmm? Maddy, how can we trust you, knowing all of the things you've already kept from us?"

Maddy exploded right back, "First off, I'm not a cub anymore. More importantly, how can I trust YOU and Dad if you go off on me when I'm trying to make things right? If every mistake I make gets thrown back in my face?" Now Maddy's eyes were gleaming yellow, and she'd folded her arms across her chest as she glared at her mum. Tom expected to see topaz-colored death rays shooting out of Maddy's eyes.

"What I think Maddy is trying to say," Daniel interrupted in a deep, soothing voice as he stepped between the two female wolfboods, "is that she needs to know that we won't overreact when she makes a mistake or when unforeseen things go wrong." Emma opened her mouth to argue, but Dan headed her off. "And, Madeline, what your mother is trying to say is that you should understand, given all the things you failed to tell us, we are very disappointed in you."

Dan cupped his daughter's face. "Every time you keep something crucial like this from us, it disrupts the trust we should have for each other—as a family, as a pack." He kissed the top of her daughter's head and enveloped her in a hug before standing at arms' length. His hands now rested on her shoulders as he probed her face with a very fatherly look.

"Now, given the impasse I'm seeing, we know where to go from here. Maddy, you need to be much more open with us. Tell us about serious problems as soon as you can from now on, especially if it involves anything wolfblood-related. In return," he added, shooting a meaningful look in Emma's direction, "we promise in the future to listen to you without judging. Without reacting before seriously considering all the issues. All right?"

Tom tried to be as small as he could. He felt like a gnat on the wall. He hardly breathed.

Maddy's cute face relaxed as she nodded. "I'm sorry, guys. I wanted to tell you. But the reason I didn't was actually more because, I don't know…I just thought to myself, it's not like you guys could do much about it, right? I mean, what would you have done if I'd even told you? Confronted Tom and just made things worse by not giving him the time to process everything?"

Even Emma didn't feel like arguing the point, but Dan was able to articulate what both parents felt deep in their hearts.

"Maddy, that's not the point. When big things are going on in your life, we want to know about it. That's part of being good parents." He smiled fondly at Emma and stroked her hand. "Not to mention good pack leaders. Even if we can't help with a problem, just confide in us with the big things. All right?"

The slender wolfblood girl nodded. "Okay, okay. You win. I'll be more open with you."

Emma smiled her best, disarming smile. "Speaking of being more open, tell me more about you and Tom." Tom flinched as the alpha female's attention zeroed in on him like a heat-seeking missile. "So, Tom, how long have you fancied my daughter? I'm just curious."

"Mum!" Maddy's horrified voice filled the entire first floor. She rushed over to Tom. "Tom needs to get going. He has to be up early for school tomorrow morning. Me too! Good night, Tom!"

Emma and Dan tried not to burst out laughing as Maddy retreated with Tom in tow and practically chucked him out the front door. Once her friend had gone home, the teen girl let out a sigh of relief. Grumbling something about today being the 'most exhausting day ever,' Maddy tromped up the stairs and headed straight for bed.

Emma and Dan exchanged a meaningful look.

MEANWHILE, NEARBY…

Gerwyn readjusted his position in a pine tree overlooking the Smiths' house. He had seen the wolfblood girl Maddy talking to the human boy. He thought back to the day he'd met her on Lindisfarne. Finally, he knew what he had to do…

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Gerwyn's Move

SHORTLY AFTER TOM LEAVES THE SMITHS' HOUSE…

Gerwyn readjusted his position in a pine tree overlooking the Smiths' house. He had seen the wolfblood girl Maddy talking to the human. He thought back to the day he'd met her on Lindisfarne.

Yes, whatever happened, it had to be worth it. He was finally willing to admit it. He would make the sacrifice, if that's what it took for him to know his son. For only the second time in his life, Gerwyn felt totally adrift. Memories tore through the floodgates as he sat in the tree dappled in moonlight and shadow.

I've been gone for so long…will they even want to know me? Will they ever forgive me? But he had to try. Being on the run from Segolia and losing everything had taught him that what he thought had mattered most in life was pure illusion. The one true constant in life, it was the very thing he had forsaken. His family. And now, as the middle-aged wolfblood considered it, a deep fissure created a million cracks along his heart.

Could this wolfbood—could he really be my boy? Gerwyn thought back to Lindisfarne, of the scent he had picked up near the lime kilns. This one scent had smelled strangely familiar to him. It had brought back memories. Gerwyn remembered seeing the wolfblood boy lean down and kiss Maddy on Lindisfarne as the storm raged and lashed at the coast. The scent had belonged to the wolf Maddy had met at the café too. And as he dwelled on it, the memory helped him make up his mind…

THE NEXT MORNING…

Early morning mist hovered over the dew-coated grass of the field behind the Smiths' house. Maddy's heart strained inside her body, beating like a stampeding buffalo as she watched, totally helpless.

"Don't hurt them. Please."

The towering, striking blonde alpha female looked down at Maddy with grim finality. Next to Natasha stood Konstantin. The huge, monstrously built wolfblood held Rhydian by the neck in a fisted grip with one hand, and Gerwyn by the neck with his other. Maddy took a step forward. "You can't. Rhydian's innocent. He just wanted to get to know his dad." Her eyes flitted to Gerwyn. Gerwyn's face looked bleaker than a blizzard. "And what's Gerwyn done that's so bad that he deserves to die?! You can't kill someone just for stealing. No. I won't let you." Maddy growled, shadowy veins racing up her arms. Natasha's veins blackened in reply. As the two wolfbloods snarled and prepared to clash, right then two sickening sounds changed Maddy's world—two snaps like rotted driftwood slammed against a brick wall.  

Maddy gaped as Rhydian and Gerwyn fell lifelessly from Konstantin's hands. Their necks flopped as she screamed…

Maddy woke up. Sweat beaded her forehead. She sat bolt upright, panting as if she'd just run half a marathon. Her cheeks were wet with tears. No, she wasn't just panting. She was heaving. Emma rushed into the bedroom.

"Pet, are you all right?"

Maddy's gaze darted in all directions as she tried to calm her pounding heart. She wiped at the slickness along her forehead as a sob escaped her lips.

"It felt so…real."

Emma scooted onto the bed beside her daughter, draped an arm around her, and pulled her to her chest just like she used to do when Maddy had nightmares when she was little.

"SHHH. You're safe. Whatever it was, it's not real, Maddy. You're safe with your pack, with me." She leaned over, kissing the top of Maddy's head and stroking her face. Maddy burrowed into her mother's arms. Mum's scent immediately brought her to a better place. Like a castle fortified with reinforcements, Maddy felt her fears lift up and fade away. She took a deep breath and squeezed her mum back. The slender wolfblood girl leaned up to plant a big kiss on her mum's cheek.

Emma stroked the side of Maddy's face—wiped away the last traces of a tear. "The bus comes in less than 30 minutes, sweetheart. Best you get a move-on."

Maddy nodded, her smile venturing out. The love in Mum's eyes made Maddy feel like the whole world had just been redeemed.

"Mum. Thanks. I love you. I don't know…I don't know what I would do without you sometimes."

Emma nuzzled Maddy's hair in a wolfy gesture, breathing in her daughter's scent. "I love you too, pet, to the moon and back."

Maddy groaned. She hated it when Mum used that phrase…it was so cheesy. As if that groan was Emma's cue to go from comforting mother to butt-busting alpha, the older she-wolf jumped off the bed and snapped her fingers.

"Time's wasting, Maddy. You best get in the shower and then get dressed. I'll put on breakfast, but you'd best hurry." When Maddy rubbed at her face, failing to jar herself to full alertness, Emma's fingers snapped again. "Look lively now. Come on. Ya miss your bus, don't expect me to be driving ya to school." With Emma's warning Maddy groaned louder and pitched out of bed.

Then she remembered. Today may have been Monday, but it was also Rhydian's first day at Bradlington High! Plus he and his pack-mates would be coming over for dinner at the end of the week. Suddenly the wolfblood girl rushed into the bathroom like a fired bullet. Reaching for her toothbrush, all Maddy could think was that today she would get to see Rhydian. Rhydian was now here, living in Stoneybridge. Another wolfblood her age. A friend. Maybe more than that she reminded herself, and thrust the thought away in her rush to get ready for school.

Maddy wolfed down two bacon cheese croissants, a blueberry muffin, and a side of cooked mushrooms and beans on toast before catapulting out the front door. She was early for the bus. Three minutes to spare, thank you very much the wolfblood teen telepathically grumbled at her mum. But she didn't feel like riding the bus today—not after that nasty nightmare. She still felt flushed. Her mind still felt frazzled. Luckily the wolfblood girl knew just the antidote. Taking off at a fast clip with her rucksack bouncing on her back, the girl unleashed her wolf. She leapt over one of the stone walls that bordered Stoneybridge's new walking trail. Not many people used it yet. Even better, the forested green spaces on either side of the trail were large enough that a wolfblood could run full-tilt without having to worry about prying eyes.

Maddy ran and ran, the last vestiges of her nightmare shed just like the sweat from her body as she ran faster than any normal human girl. With the adrenaline giving her that high which only a hunt in wolf form on a full moon could outdo, the wolf-girl felt like she could accomplish just about anything. So the petite girl wasn't prepared for the sudden shape hurtling at breakneck speed. A large figure slammed into her. Strong arms curled around her to cushion her fall as she went flying with the force of the larger form's inertia. A hand curved over her mouth to muffle her scream.

Oh God. She was on her back with another person beneath her and not letting go. She struggled frantically as the arms held her tight. Was it Konstantin, or one of Natasha's other wolves come to kidnap her?

"Easy, girl. It's me—Gerwyn." Maddy stilled, breathing hard against Gerwyn's palm. The wolfblood slowly drew away his hand. Maddy rolled off him. With her butt landing on a wet clump of leaves, the girl grimaced as the wetness soaked right through the seat of her pants. Gerwyn picked up his battered black hat and plopped it back on his head. His doleful eyes said I'm sorry in a hundred different ways.

"We have to stop meeting like this." He rose up and offered Maddy a hand. Maddy took it. He pulled her to her feet. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"You bloody well scared the wolf right out of me," Maddy cried. "What were you thinking?"

Gerwyn gave Maddy a rueful grin. "I was thinking that if I didn't catch up to you soon, you'd be at school before I could talk to you…and being a wanted man, I couldn't risk it."

"So you thought tackling me as I'm sprinting top-speed through the woods was a better idea?!" Now that Maddy's heart wasn't punching through her chest, the young she-wolf had time to feel outrage.

Gerwyn shook his head. He reached over towards Maddy's face, pulling a gold coin from behind her ear. "You're right, it wasn't my finest hour. Will the pretty girl accept a shiny peace offering from a contrite old wolf who didn't know any better?" Maddy couldn't help but soften as Gerwyn placed the coin in the palm of her hand.

"I wouldn't have stopped you if it wasn't important." He frowned. He pointed at her neck. "Did I do that?"

Maddy's hand reached up to cover the partially healed bruise. "No…but one of the wolfbloods hunting you did." Maddy's eyes narrowed. "Why exactly are they hunting you, anyway? What did you steal? I'd love to know who 'They' are too, by the way." Maddy glared at Gerwyn, picking up speed. "Rhydian just wants to find you, you’re his dad. How could you run from him when he just wants to know you? Why didn't you seek him out before, when he was still a cub? Do you know what hell he's been through, bouncing around among human families who couldn't teach him what it meant to be a wolfblood, making him think he was some sort of freak???"  

Maddy felt such pain for Rhydian's sake. It lanced through her heart like a spasm of grief. The empathy she felt for Rhydian, him growing up through a revolving door of foster families who hardly gave a damn—the depth of it surprised her. Maddy wanted to shout at Gerwyn 'What kind of person are you?' but she held back. Judging a person in this situation wouldn't do any good, and she knew it. If Gerwyn finally wanted to reconnect with his son again, then guilt-tripping him about the past wasn't the way to help matters.

The brunette took a moment to calm herself. She put her hands over her face and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry…I'm not here to judge you." When she opened her eyes, she was shocked to see Gerwyn's expression full of hope.

"Rhydian? It's true, then…" Gerwyn smiled. "The truth is that I didn't know he was looking for me, Maddy…I had assumed that he and his friends were working for Segolia, the people trying to capture me. I haven't seen my boy in so many years…I no longer knew what he even looked like. But his scent—I picked up a trace of it on Lindisfarne. I came here today for two reasons, Maddy. Most importantly to ask you the name of the blonde boy you were with on Lindisfarne, to confirm what I hoped, that for the first time in over a decade my son is near." Gerwyn's eyes filled with tears. "My boy, he really came looking for me. I don't deserve him, do I?" The tears had begun as a steady trickle. It was starting to become a flood. The regret in Gerwyn's eyes reminded Maddy of ashes sprinkled on a grave.

"Ahh, that's no good. Pull it together." He wiped away the tears. He composed himself. "There's one other reason I need to talk to you, Maddy, and it's the most important thing I'll ever ask of anyone."

"Okay…" Maddy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, curious and anxious at the same time.

"I need your help."

"If it will help you and Rhydian reconnect as a family, if you promise to do whatever you can to be a good dad to him again, then count me in," Maddy said stoutly.

Gerwyn nodded. "I will, Maddy. I will. Listen, I have a lot to make up for, and a lot to answer for. I won't shy away from it, but I need your help—"

"What kind of help?"

"—to take down Segolia."

Gerwyn's words sent a chill through Maddy. Who…or what was Segolia? The wolfblood girl wasn't so sure she wanted to know. Were they some kind of secret society of wolfbloods? Was that why Gerwyn feared them so much that he'd been on the run for so long? If so, what could one teen wolfblood girl do to tip the scales? It was madness, wasn't it? Questions filled Maddy's head.

Her voice laced with steel, Mads said the only thing that made sense.

"Start talking."

Chapter Text

Ch. 15 - Rhydian's First Day

Rhydian didn't know whether to feel excited or nervous. On the way to Mr. Jeffries' classroom so many gazes were whipping his way, it was almost comical.

Oookay. So new kids are a rare breed at Bradlingon High. Good to know. What perplexed Rhydian the most as he strode through the halls was that his human side felt nervous, but his wolf felt excited—when it should have been the opposite!

And then it hit him—or rather, Maddy's scent hit him, which explained a lot. The petite brunette tried to rush by, knowing she was running late thanks to Gerwyn's ambush on the way to school. But she never got by Rhydian, who abruptly swung his arm across her chest, bringing her to a stop. Maddy gasped. In her rush she'd ignored her senses. She hadn't even known he was there.

"Rhydian!" Her whole face lit up. Rhydian took it as a green light for what he did next. He snagged her hand, stroking his thumb gently across her knuckles.

"Want to walk me to first form since we have History together?" Maddy's mouth went dry as she looked down at their joined hands. She seemed extra nervous. Preoccupied. "Is something wrong, Maddy? I thought you were glad to see me? I thought you could help me out, show me around and everything, since it's my first day." The wolfblood boy grinned and leaned close to Maddy's ear. "Or is it you're embarrassed to be seen with the new boy, holding hands?" His keen wolfblood ears could hear the pitter-patter of the girl's heartbeat. He didn't realize that the pitter-patter really came from Maddy trying to decide whether she should tell Rhydian everything his dad had told her in the woods…

Maddy stared at the floor. Gerwyn told me to say nothing, but…

Her thoughts shattered like a dropped mirror as Rhydian's hand suddenly tipped up her chin. His lips pressed to hers. He deepened the kiss as heat pooled just below her belly, spreading fast. Rhydian's wolf growled inside, feeling frisky. The bell rang.

"Rhydian!" Maddy cried, breaking the kiss as she put her hands on his chest and pushed a little. "We're late for class. Come on." She took his hand and tugged him along as the blonde boy just grinned, seeing the shade of scarlet which was creeping up the girl's face. Less than thirty seconds later, Maddy breathlessly found her seat at the two-person desk with Shannon Kelly. Rhydian prepared to take the only other vacant seat in the room, smack-dab next to Tom Okanawe. A ramrod-straight, bearded man stopped him in mid-stride.

"Rhydian Morris, I presume."

"Yes, Sir." Now Rhydian did feel nervous as all eyes zeroed in on him.

The history teacher made a grand gesture. "Class, I'd like you to meet our newest pupil, Rhydian Morris. He comes from—?"

"Wales, Sir. Originally."

"Wales." Jeffries nodded. "Have a seat please." Even as Rhydian prepared to go to his seat, Jeffries' gaze hardened, latching onto Maddy Smith.

"Is there a reason you were late today, Maddy?"

Before the girl could reply, Rhydian had already piped up, "I'm sorry, Sir. It's my fault. She was helping me. I'm afraid I was being the clueless new kid, a little lost. When I finally stopped asking her a million questions, she helped me find the right room."

Maddy hid her surprise at Rhydian's gallantry. She tried not to fidget. She didn't like him lying for her, but in this case it was a white lie, so she let it go.

Paying attention throughout Mr. Jeffries' lesson that day became an act of herculean efforts. Rhydian kept sneaking looks at Maddy. Eventually he must have been way too obvious about it because Maddy gave him a death-glare. With Jeffries' passionate voice rising and falling in the background, Shan risked a whisper to her friend.

"The new boy seems to have a thing for you, Mads."

Maddy wanted to ignore Shan, but that would only encourage her. Instead she played dumb. "Oh?" She busily resumed scribbling in her notebook, pretending to be studious until Shan gave up.

Later that day, in the canteen, Maddy stood in line with Rhydian to get food. Today's special—macaroni and cheese with a vegetable medley. No meat. Sigh.

"Do they serve you this slop every day?" Rhydian asked, horror in his voice. "You do realize that both my foster parents are vegetarians. I need meat, Maddy. My wolf is dying here."

"Oh, shush. When you come over for dinner on Friday, we'll have the hog roast with all the trimmings, enough meat fit for a wolfblood prince." Something caught her ear just then, and Rhydian loved the way her eyebrows scrunched together so cutely on her face. She was so adorable when she concentrated. One of the many things he liked about her.

"Maddy…?"

"Shush!" What could she be listening in on? Rhydian cocked his head. He used his wolfblood abilities to isolate different sounds, different voices. In the crowded canteen it was a challenge—but not impossible.

Not too far away, Tom and Shan sat at their usual table, waiting for Maddy to get her food. Shan took another sip of her vitamin water.

"Tom, I don't think this is a good idea."

"You say that about anything that involves risk, Shan."

The glasses-wearing, geeky young woman looked like she'd been slapped. "I do not. I'm just more sensible than you. You don't have to be all bitter about it." Shan folded her hands together primly on the tabletop. "You just finally got back to things being normal between you two. Now why would you want to screw it up?"

Tom threw her this look of full-on exasperation. "Because I still have feelings for her, Shan. Look, I know I bolloxed things up. I…" Shan eyed him suspiciously.

"Meaning?"

Instead of saying the truth, that he'd freaked out when he'd discovered his girlfriend—now ex-girlfriend—was a wolfblood, Tom searched for a vague answer.

"I…Shan, I tried to rush things way too quickly with Maddy. I didn't give her the time or space she needed."

"So does this mean you're no longer upset at her for kissing that other guy?" The moment the words flew out of Shan's lips, Tom froze. Tom was convinced the incident had been a one-off. He hadn't gotten a good look at the other guy, but he knew the guy didn't go to Bradlington High and didn't live near Stoneybridge. It wasn't like he'd ever see him again.

"She told you about that?"

"Yes." Shan made a frustrated motion with both arms. "I mean, come on Tom, let's think about this critically, like logical human beings. You know that she doesn't feel the same way about you that you feel about her. She just doesn't fancy you. She does care about you though. You and Maddy are best friends. Isn't that enough?"

Tom shook his head stubbornly. "I get it, Shan. You don't want to see Mads get hurt again. Neither do I." He attacked his plate of macaroni and cheese with zeal, nearly burning his mouth in the process. When he'd finally gulped down enough cold water, he took a breath and continued. "Look, Shan, I understand. You don't think this is going to work out between us. Still, I have to try. I love her, Shan. I've fancied Maddy for years, and that night on Lindisfarne…before I messed it all up, it was…" Tom's eyes took on a distant, dreamy sheen which Shan barely recognized. "It was just, I don't know, perfect. Even if Mads doesn't feel the same about me, I have to give it my best shot."

Shan leveled him with a skeptical glance. "So, what, you're going to treat her like a princess and see if she responds to your lavish affections?"

Tom grumbled. "Of course not, Shan. I'll come up with a game plan. I'll treat her right, show her how much I really care about her. Girls just have to know how much you care about them and then, eventually, if you prove yourself, they start to see you differently. Maddy doesn't fancy me because she keeps seeing the 'old' Tom, the 'just-friends' Tom. If I can just get her to see the entire me, then I'll have a chance."

Shan slid a hand over her ginger hair with a sigh. "Tom, I'll say it again. I really don't think this is a good idea. At the very least, you should give Maddy more time. She's ecstatic to have you back as a friend, and now you pressuring her is the last thing she needs. If you really loved Maddy, you'd let things be—for her sake, Tom."

Tom opened his mouth to reply as Maddy and Rhydian placed their trays of food on the table. Tom's mouth nearly hit the floor at what happened next.

Maddy grabbed Rhydian by the front lapels of his shirt and yanked him down with such force it was a wonder their heads didn't bonk. She kissed him voraciously—like his lips were the oxygen she needed to breathe. The pretty brunette practically mauled Rhydian's face as the two made out in full view of several dozen schoolmates. Maddy's mouth worked until Rhydian finally caught on and began responding with a passion of his own. His hands were just about to slip around her waist when she released him. Dazed, Rhydian fell into the seat beside Maddy, looking like a man just woken up from the perfect dream.

"Hey guys," Maddy said, popping a fry into her mouth. "I want you to meet Rhydian, my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend?" Shan nearly fainted.

Meanwhile, deep inside, Maddy was grateful for the unexpected drama. It was a welcome distraction from Gerwyn's plans. She didn't have any regrets. Overhearing Tom planning the disaster of courting her when she just wanted to preserve their friendship—it gave her the courage to figure out how she really felt. Rhydian helped me on Lindisfarne when you didn't, Tom. When you couldn't. He's like me and he'll understand me in a way you never will. And now you know that my heart's definitely not yours, and never will be. Her heart beat faster as she wondered whether her rash decision had been a little TOO rash.

Rhydian draped an arm around her slim shoulders with a cocky grin. Be careful, Mads. You still haven't known Rhydian for long. Don't jump into a new relationship for convenience, that's not smart either. Still, as Rhydian gently rubbed her back there was this feeling bubbling up inside her. Around Rhydian I feel safe. It's more than that. He's been treated so poorly by people most of his life, but he's still kind. He's had it rough, but he's still generous. The way he looks at me makes me just…lose my train of thought. She felt a surge of warmth as their eyes met.  She just wanted to follow her instincts and see where they led. Was that so wrong?

As Shan began peppering Rhydian with questions, the wolfblood boy's eyes swung towards Maddy, imploring her for rescue. Meanwhile Maddy pretended not to notice Tom's darkening face.

Oh boy. This could be trouble.

Chapter Text

Ch. 16 - Trouble in the Pack

The red wolf cut through the trees like a bloody knife. She huffed and panted. She surged up the incline, coming to the top of the bluff. The moon shone bright—scarred yet beautiful. Jana looked out over the pristine forests of the Trossachs. It was several days' journey from Newcastle. For now, it was also her pack's home.

If it's still even my pack. Jana sat on the bluff's edge in human form. She folded her legs and propped her chin on her knees. Nocturnal creatures made the night come alive like a hidden orchestra. Normally it would have been enough to soothe her. Not now.

She heard him, then smelt him. Matei struggled up the steep rise. His wolf settled on its haunches on the rock beside her. The yellow eyes that had blazed at her with anger less than an hour ago now gleamed with a calmer sheen. Matei transformed back. Jana was about to speak when a smaller wolf crashed through the undergrowth. Emilia. The younger wolf transformed back into human too. She sat beside her brother, and Matei wrapped an arm around his little sister as the wind gusted over the bluff.

"Hey," Matei said.

"Hey," Jana said. She scratched at one of her nails, avoiding eye contact until Emilia broke in.

"I'm sorry, Jana. I…overreacted."

Jana chuckled bitterly. "No, cub, you didn't. Meinir, Aran, even Ceri took your side. Clearly you were in the right, I was in the wrong. Maybe I'm no longer fit to lead, yes?"

"Don't say that," Emilia said. Jana's attention flew to her as she heard the cub start to cry. "Even when I'm really, really mad at you, don't ever say that."

"Emilia—" Jana hated seeing the cub cry. It just tore at her. She didn't know—

"No, I mean it. You were the one who found me. I would have killed myself." Emilia absently touched the twisted flesh, the scars on her face. "If you weren't looking out for me back then, I wouldn't be here now." Matei rubbed Emilia's shoulder, looking completely miserable. Jana flinched. The topic of Emilia's attempted suicide was still a tender one. She couldn't resist the words that came out next, knee-jerk reaction to what Emilia had said.

"You're still talking to Vheth once a week, more if you need to. Just like we agreed, yes?"

Emilia nodded. "Yes…the urges come less often now…and not as strong."

Matei coughed, clearly desperate to change the subject. Jana decided she might as well oblige. Let's get this over with.

"So, what should I do? Should I even bother going to Stoneybridge, Matei? Will I have a pack to come back to if I do?"

Matei looked away. "Do you want me to tell you the truth, Jana?"

"No, tell me what I want to hear," Jana groused, rolling her eyes.

Her comment formed the ghost of a smile on Matei's lips.

"I think you need to slow down. It's not that the pack is completely against you. Against change. They just need to know that you care about our identity too…that you won't forget where we came from. They also need to know you still value the whole pack—as a society, a social unit, whatever you want to call it."

"I do value it," Jana all but hissed.

"That's not how it sounded," Emilia crept in. The young wolfblood dabbed at her tears. "When you just go and announce that me and Matei have to go back to living among humans, go to school to 'learn,' as if we aren't learning by living here free in the wild among our own kind, how does that make us feel? Like part of the pack? No. First you let Rhydian go to Stoneybridge, then you exile me and my brother to Newcastle.

"You can learn skills there you can't learn here, Emilia. I know it's hard to go back. I know it sucks being judged all the time. I know humans your age give you a hard time about your scars. But you're strong, Emilia, and you're beautiful—more than you know." Emilia's face softened at Jana's words, but she didn't seem to budge. Matei broke in.

"I think Emilia and I are the least of your worries right now, Jana." Matei stood up, gazing out at the stars as he fought for the right words. "You can't just come back here and tell the pack that you're going to make an alliance with this 'Segolia' group. You may have put Natasha in her place, you may even think you can handle her, but we still don't know much about Segolia. And what we do know makes me nervous. In many ways they represent the opposite of what we are. They're like the ultimate tame wolfbloods, right? So embedded in the human world they try to pull the strings behind the scenes. So of course your revelation that you want the pack to help Segolia track down Gerwyn didn't sit well with Meinir or Aran. Or Ceri."

Matei paused. He smiled sadly. "I warned you to take this slowly, but you wouldn't listen."

Jana sighed. She stood up too, now, and Emilia joined them. Jana pulled a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

"Yes, well, I hope the 'I told you so' is as satisfying for you as it is for me," Jana muttered.

Matei motioned for Jana to come to him. She did—with great reluctance. Matei hugged both female wolfbloods as the three looked out over the moonlit night. "Are you sure that everything Natasha and Segolia have promised us is worth letting them use us, as a pack, to find Gerwyn?"

Jana sighed. Matei's warmth felt good up and down her left side. "Obviously I can't guarantee it, no. I do feel we can trust Natasha though. In many ways she's like a good wild wolfblood alpha. She respects mainly strength. Still, she has principles. She may be fierce, but she doesn't go back on her word."

Matei gave Jana a gentle kiss as Emilia grimaced and looked away. "You're still asking too much, Jana. Let Natasha come and present herself to the pack. Let them at least appraise the leader you want us to get in bed with instead of thrusting your decision down everyone's throats. I know you think you're a skilled judge of character, Jana—and you are. But sometimes even a wise alpha needs the full input of their pack. When a decision has such major ramifications…"

Jana rested her head against Matei's shoulder. She leaned up, nuzzling the side of his face. She much preferred this Matei, the advisor and confidante, to the angry and protective older brother she'd seen earlier.

"All right. I'll do as you suggest. But first you have to come with me to Stoneybridge. I'm not missing the dinner meet-up to make sure Maddy's family is right for Rhydian. I also want to talk to Rhydian face-to-face one more time about his dad. Deal?"

"Deal—on one condition," Matei said. He switched his gaze to Emilia, who already had the puppy-dog eyes turned on for full effect.

"Let me guess…we have to let her come," Jana groaned.

"Smart girl," Matei murmured. As he kissed Jana on the forehead Emilia squealed with excitement. And all the while, Jana wondered…was she making the right decisions, letting Rhydian move even farther from the pack to Stoneybridge? Demanding Natasha come to meet the rest of her pack? Accepting Segolia's gifts in exchange for services rendered? Questions swirled in her mind like a hundred distractions.

Chapter Text

Ch. 17 - Most Awkward Dinner Ever

FRIDAY, JUST OUTSIDE THE SMITHS' HOUSE IN STONEYBRIDGE…

Nightfall blanketed Stoneybridge, but a light snowfall earlier in the day conspired with the reflected moonlight to keep the world bright. Konstantin followed Rhydian at a healthy distance, relying on the keenest sense any wolfblood had—scent.

Konstantin tracked Rhydian through the woods, curious where the boy would take him. He had a feeling the boy would go see that she-wolf he was so attached to. All the better. The wolfblood was still seething. He would find proof that Rhydian was in contact with his father and take it to the pack. Whether he had Natasha's favor or not wouldn't matter then.

The huge wolfblood didn't have time to react to the sudden hiss of the bolt slicing through the air. Konstantin reached for his throat. He felt sticky wetness coat his fingers as oxygen refused to find his lungs. He tried to change into his wolf, to heal himself. His brain wouldn't focus. The thick projectile in his neck trickled more and more blood. Soon it had soaked the front of his shirt. He fell to his knees. Footsteps crept up behind him. A silhouette threw Konstantin in shadow as the wolfblood pitched onto his back, gasping.

"You…" the wolfblood wheezed. Fresh blood gushed from the wound, and then the blackness came—swift and final.

MEANWHILE, AT THE SMITHS' HOUSE…

The Smiths' cozy cottage sat shrouded in trees with a spacious field behind it. Part of Maddy wished she could be out in that field right now, free in wolf form. If she were, then maybe she could forget about how tonight promised to be a total disaster.

"Is something wrong, pet?" Emma said as she seasoned the meat stew. Dan was already cutting huge slices from the roasted pig. He had it piled up on the plate to a teetering height which reminded Maddy of the leaning tower of Pisa. She had opened her mouth to say something when Mum interrupted.

"Wrong? Besides me being nervous that you two are going to embarrass me?" Maddy lied with a snort. She strode over to the living room and gazed out the window. Rhydian wasn't coming and she knew why.

Why were you such an idiot? You should have just told him straightaway, Mads. You should have trusted him with the truth, no matter what Gerwyn said.

Emma set out the plates, napkins, and silverware as she cast an unconvinced look Maddy's way. "I know you're disappointed about Jana and Rhydian's other pack-mates postponing their dinner visit until next Friday, pet. But think of it this way; this gives us a chance to get to know Rhydian better on his own and make him feel more comfortable as one of us."

Dan nodded as he cut off another hunk of meat. "Your mum's right, Maddy. This makes the transition easier. The sooner Rhydian can see himself as part of our pack now that he's living here in Stoneybridge, the better." Dan shrugged. "I know it sounds harsh, but Rhydian needs to get used to seeing less of Jana, Matei, and his old pack-mates. It's healthier for him to make new friendships too."

Maddy didn't have the energy to argue. She thought back to her conversation with Rhydian yesterday after school.

Maddy and Rhydian held hands and ran into the woods behind the Bradlington High football fields before anyone could ogle at them, especially the three K's. The brown-eyed girl stopped Rhydian and proceeded to fidget while staring at the ground. A knot formed across Rhydian's forehead.

"What's up, Mads? Why did you want to talk to me alone?"

Summoning up all the courage she had, Maddy lifted her gaze to his. "On Monday your father came up to me on the way to school. He wants me to help him fight Segolia." Maddy outlined Gerwyn's plan as Rhydian listened in stunned silence. When she'd finished, Maddy reached for Rhydian's hand. He took a step back.

"I see." Turmoil shone on Rhydian's face. "So you knew about this for four whole days without telling me."

"I wanted to tell you before…but your dad wanted me to—"

"To hell what my dad wants," Rhydian exploded. "You know he hasn't taken an interest in me for over a decade. Now he's in serious trouble, and so what does he do? He asks my new girlfriend to get involved in HIS problems. And you know what? Maybe he should be cleaning up his own mess." Rhydian's eyes flashed a burning yellow. "And now I find out you're helping him—trusting him over me." Rhydian shook his head angrily.

"Rhydian, it's not like that—"

"The hell it's not." Rhydian turned and stalked away. Maddy called after him.

"Rhydian, wait." She ran after him, but his next words stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Just. Leave. Me. Be." He turned back for a moment, his eyes blazing like two dazzling suns. "And the next time you see him, tell him that if he ever tries to use you as a pawn in his little schemes again, not only will he be dead to me—I'll track him down myself and give him exactly what he deserves."

Maddy sighed. She shoved the memory aside. The dull ache in her head and the scratchiness in her throat told her something else too; she was getting sick. And all the while she still didn't have the heart to tell her parents what had happened with Rhydian yesterday. How could she, since they still didn't know about Gerwyn? Something had to give. It was just a matter of when.

"Em, can you hand me the bacon?" Dan asked. Mum handed him a fresh package, which he quickly tore open and emptied into the skillet. The sizzling of bacon strips and the heavenly aroma almost distracted Maddy from the doldrums of her thoughts. Then she heard her parents' humor come alive in all its hideous splendor.  

"I can't wait to meat Rhydian," her dad chirped.

Emma grinned. "I know. I hope he doesn't mind the spread we have tonight. I wouldn't want him to have a beef with us."

"Quite right, Em. Veal try our best, won't we?"

"Guys. Please stop!" The worse her parents' puns got, the harder the pounding in her head became.

I should just tell them he can't come, make up some excuse. Rhydian's furious at me. There's no way he's coming.

Just then the doorbell rang. Maddy froze like a rabbit caught in torchlight.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Emma called as she placed a sprawling plate with seven kinds of deli meat on the table.

Maddy opened the door. Her heart skipped a beat. Several, in fact. There he was. The wolfblood boy stared back at her as moonlight placed a halo on his blonde head of hair. His blue eyes shone with warmth. His expression had guilt etched everywhere like invisible tattoos.

"Rhydian?" She couldn't hide the shock in her voice.

"Maddy. Can I come in?"

She opened the door wider as he stepped inside. He took both of her hands in his, stroking her knuckles gently with his thumbs as his expression softened even further. "I can't tell you how sorry I am, Mads. I feel awful about how I snapped at you yesterday. It wasn't your fault that—" He stopped himself when he realized Maddy's parents were within earshot. "It's not your fault you were put in that position. I'm sorry I overreacted. You were just trying to do the right thing and I took my frustrations out on you, and that was wrong." He smiled sadly at her. "I'm just glad you told me, even though you probably want nothing to do with me after the way I treated you yester—"

He never finished his apology because Maddy's hands were cupping the back of his head as she brought his head down for a kiss so passionate it stole his breath away. She claimed the softness of his lips as her inner alpha growled MINE. For a moment she forgot pretty much everything—being sick, the stress of Gerwyn's secret, her nerves about Rhydian meeting her parents—the whole bloody mess. Her heart was just happy that Rhydian was right here, right now, contrary to all expectations. Rhydian responded, or to be more accurate, his wolf surged with the raw force of instinct as his hands slipped under the back of her purple tank top, stroking the smooth, bare skin underneath as the two wolfbloods kissed like long-separated lovers.   

By the time the teen wolfbloods came to their senses it was too late. Rhydian recovered much sooner than Maddy. He jumped back from Maddy as if the pretty brunette had caught fire. But the parents had already seen everything, and the meaningful looks flew fast and furiously between them.

Suddenly Daniel was standing right beside his daughter, reaching out his hand as Rhydian hastily tried to pat his disheveled hair back into place. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Rhydian. I'm Daniel, Maddy's father." The older male wolfblood took Rhydian's hand in a crushing grip. The wolfblood boy winced as the punitive handshake reached a climax. Emma appeared two heartbeats later.

"And I'm Maddy's mum. Please, call me Emma." The alpha female shook Rhydian's hand twice as hard. By the end of this second handshake Rhydian had lost all blood flow past his right wrist. He smiled through the pain.

"It's so great to meet you both," he said. "Your daughter has made me feel right at home here in Stoneybridge."

"I can see that," Daniel said drily. Looking bleakly at Rhydian, he addressed his wife. "Emma, can you finish tending the bacon and dishing up the stew? I'd like to have a little chat with Rhydian, give him the full tour of our downstairs den."

''I'll go with you," Maddy offered, but before she knew it, her mum was taking her by the elbow. "No, pet, I need some help here in the kitchen." The way her mum said it so forcefully, two things were obvious. One, her mum needed no such help, and two, Rhydian was in for it now. Maddy's heartbeat stuttered in panic. She looked after Rhydian as he disappeared around the corner with Dan's arm around his shoulders. Dan urged him forward like an executioner ushering an unsuspecting prisoner to the gallows…

A FEW MINUTES LATER…DOWNSTAIRS IN THE SMITHS' DEN

"Have a seat, Rhydian."

Rhydian sat down in the plush leather chair. He opened his mouth to explain. Daniel cut him off.

"I'm going to do most of the talking for now, and you're going to do most of the listening unless I ask you a question." The wolfblood father pulled up a chair opposite Rhydian, quite close. He sat and leaned forward, getting into Rhydian's space.

"What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

Rhydian's eyes widened. "I know how it looks, Sir."

"How does it look?" Daniel's face dimmed ominously.

The boy tried to start over. "What I mean, Sir, is that…I care about Maddy…a lot. When I found her all alone on Lindisfarne after she'd injured herself, just before the full moon hit, I just wanted to protect her. And ever since then, all I've wanted is for Maddy to be happy and safe. I swear. And she makes me…I don't know, she makes me a better person. The old anxieties I've always had, ever since becoming an orphan—around Maddy, it's like they almost disappear. I think, well, I know this will sound maybe presumptuous, but I seem to have a similar effect on her. When I've been around lately I've noticed that Maddy becomes more confident. She looks at me, I don't know, with this fierce affection. It's like I have this unexpected ability to bring Mads out of her shell." Realizing that he was babbling now and probably revealing way too much, the wolfblood boy snapped his mouth shut.

Daniel scratched at his beard thoughtfully and leaned back in his chair.

"You care about my daughter?"

Rhydian nodded as fast as he'd ever nodded in his entire life. He nodded so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.

"Very much, Sir. I would never do anything to hurt her."

Daniel Smith folded his hands together and looked at Rhydian expectantly. "And getting my daughter pregnant, would that qualify as 'hurting' her, Rhydian?"

The teen's mouth fell open. Was this a trick question? He licked his lips and felt sweat break out on the palms of both hands. "Y-yes?" He coughed, tried again. "I mean, Sir, of course Maddy's too young. We would never have—" His face blushed a deep crimson. "We would never have unprotected sex."

"Unprotected sex?" Daniel said, his voice rising. "So you plan to have sex with my daughter?"

Rhydian yearned for a swift and merciful death—anything to get him free of this conversation.

"No, that's not what I meant!" Rhydian put his face in his hands. This can't be real. Please, let me wake up from this nightmare. He took a deep breath and used every shred of bravery he still had to meet Daniel's stare.

"I will always respect Maddy and try to do what's best for her, Sir. And I know that means waiting until she's ready, however long that takes, and I promise you I will never pressure her to do anything. Anything. I swear it." He took a gulp of air and met Daniel's still-skeptical glare head on. "Look, I'll do whatever you and Emma feel comfortable with. OK? Please, just let me date your daughter. I love her. There, I said it. I love her. I know what you're going to say—I've only known her for just over a month. That's crazy." He sighed, throwing Dan a miserable look. "God, I really screwed this up, didn't I? How about I leave now and never show my face again? You don't have to kick me out. I'm going." Rhydian made to get up, but Dan put out a hand to stop him.

"Wait."

Rhydian froze. Daniel's expression had turned from dubious to thoughtful. He put a hand on Rhydian's.

"Maddy's too young to be dating," Dan said gently. Rhydian's heart sank. "We want her to be at least fifteen before she starts dating, and her fifteenth birthday isn't until next week," Dan added suggestively. Rhydian's heart leapt into his throat as he experienced the last thing he'd ever expected—hope.

"Now, as to the business of…things that might lead to a cub entering the picture…" Dan eyed him quite pointedly. "I expect you to act responsibly."

"Yes Sir. I—"

"Just shut up and listen." Dan stood up, left the room, and came back with a pained look. He handed Rhydian a box of condoms. "Em and I knew this day was coming, sooner or later. Now there's only one other thing I ask, and it's this; give Maddy time, at least six months or longer, before you get…intimate with each other." Now Dan's face of I-wish-I-were-dead-instead-of-having-this-conversation mirrored Rhydian's. "Now there's a reason I'm telling you this." Dan sighed. "There's something you need to know about 'tame' wolfbloods…and how we are aren't quite the same as wild wolfbloods."

"Sir?"

"Some theorize it's because 'tame' wolfbloods have repressed their wolves over the course of generations, although why this affects girls more than boys no one really knows. Whatever the cause, here's what you need to know." Dan took a fortifying breath. "When a 'tame' wolfblood girl first comes of age, shortly afterward she 'goes into heat.' Her attraction to male wolfbloods during that time is noticeably heightened. It's hormones, but it's more than that—no one quite knows how it works exactly. The point is, I have no doubt that my daughter is attracted to you, but part of that attraction is her biology talking, not her. If or when you two decide to…take your relationship to a deeper level, it should be because you're both going forward with eyes wide open. I'll not have you be taking advantage of my daughter. Do you understand?"

Rhydian nodded. "Of course I do, Sir. I had no idea…I mean, Maddy has been awfully forward with me. Now it makes a little more sense." He let out a tiny grin. "I mean, I was flattering myself thinking it was all me…but this is more believable." Rhydian hesitated before asking the question that came to mind.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so open to the idea of…me and Maddy? I mean, I haven't known Maddy for very long. I'm honestly surprised you haven't thrown me out on my ear."

Humor and wistful warmth filled Daniel's eyes as he sat back, rubbing his chin in that thoughtful way of his. "The truth, Rhydian? When I met Em, I was just like you. It wasn't love at first sight—that's a human term and it's often a false one. But you and I—we're wolfbloods. We're different." He nodded at Rhydian with respect. "Our wolves help us choose our mates, and that instinctual response when we first meet the girl who makes the heart beat faster, well, it's usually dead-on. Wolfbloods may have it harder than humans in many ways, but in this way we have it far better than humans do. Humans fall in love, humans fall out of love. But wolfbloods? We bind our hearts together like true mated pairs. The unique blend of our human and wolf selves creates a magnetism when we meet someone we're meant to be with. There's a reason that wolfbloods almost never, ever part, once two become one."

Rhydian tried to absorb everything Dan had said. He didn't know what to say at this point, but maybe he didn't need to say anything. He thought of Maddy, the way he loved the curve of her lips, the cuteness of her delicately shaped nose, the vivid brown of her eyes, which he could lose himself in for hours if he wasn't careful…

Dan stood up, and Rhydian automatically followed his lead.

"Now," Dan smiled, "let's go upstairs and help the girls finish preparing dinner. What do you say?" Dan winked at Rhydian. "Oh, and we can keep this conversation just between the two of us, yes?"

You have no idea. The relief Rhydian felt was unreal.

"Fine by me, Sir."

"Please Rhydian, call me Dan."

Chapter Text

Ch. 18 - Maddy and Rhydian on Opposing Sides

When Dan and Rhydian reached the top of the stairs to join Maddy and Emma for dinner, they heard the tail-end of conversation.

"I just want to make sure you'll be careful, cub. I know you really like this boy, but this is unfamiliar territory and I just want you to make good choices."

"Mum, can we PLEASE drop it?" Could you be any more condescending, Mum? AHH! Maddy felt totally humiliated as Dan and Rhydian walked back upstairs and into the kitchen. She sat down and stared at her empty plate, feeling her whole face burning. Was that embarrassment that Rhydian might have overheard them or was that the start of a fever acting up? Maddy wasn't sure.

"Let's all sit down and eat. The smells here are enough to drive us all mad if we don't get to it," Emma announced. She threw Dan a questioning look, and whatever look he threw back must have satisfied her, because the alpha she-wolf welcomed Rhydian to the table. The tension in the air died as the family of three and their guest let their wolfy appetites dictate what came next. Maddy giggled when Rhydian snagged a slice of ham Dan had thrown Maddy's way. He caught it out of the air like a toad snatching a bug in mid-flight. When he gobbled it up whole, even Emma laughed.

"I see Jana never taught you manners," Emma teased. Rhydian blushed.

"She did…but I'm afraid I have a stubborn streak."

"Huh, who else does that remind me of?" Dan asked rhetorically, giving his teenage daughter a meaningful look.

Maddy reached for Rhydian's hand under the table. Her heart skipped a beat as the warmth of his fingers enfolded hers. Somehow that warmth seemed to penetrate everywhere—some places best left unmentioned. She looked at him shyly, all too aware of her parents across the table. The rest of the dinner progressed better than Maddy expected. Of course it helped to have low expectations, and she'd expected her parents to thoroughly embarrass her—which they HAD, by the way. She didn't even want to think about what her dad had said to Rhydian downstairs in the den. If it was even close to anything like 'the talk' Mum had given her…

Soon enough, the night started wrapping up. Emma and Daniel told Rhydian a courteous goodbye and were already whirling through the kitchen, putting the place back into its formerly pristine yet cozy state.

As Maddy walked Rhydian to the edge of the front drive, the stars in the night sky seemed to glitter just for them. She saw her breath puff out as the chill crept beneath her jacket. Rhydian eyed her uncertainly.

"I'm glad I got the chance to meet your parents, Maddy. I really like them."

The girl bit her lip. "You do? I mean, I think they like you too. Mum was, well, for Mum she was well-behaved. Now that's not saying much…" A trace of a smile lit up Maddy's face as Rhydian's grin joined hers.

"Um, did my dad say anything weird to you…before dinner?" Maddy added, confused when she saw Rhydian respond with a smile wider than the moon.

"When you show your 'I'm worried' look, you look kind of adorable. Has anyone ever told you that?"

The cute brunette scowled. "Rhydian!"

"What? It's true." Rhydian's blue eyes turned serious. Maddy sensed the mood shifting, like a pressure change in the air right before a storm hits.

"Listen, Maddy…about what you told me earlier. My dad wanting you to help him against Segolia—"

"Yeah?"

"I meant what I said yesterday. The way I said it was ten kinds of stupid, but it still doesn't make me wrong. My dad should never have given you the flash drive with the videos of him changing into his wolf. That kind of evidence could hurt all of us, and recklessly creating it as leverage to get Segolia to back off, to save his own neck—I hardly know where to start. The last thing my dad needs is someone enabling him right now. Let him learn to deal with his own problems, okay? Destroy the drive or just give it to me. Stay clear of everything, all right Mads?"

Maddy tensed up. "I've already agreed to help him, Rhydian."

"Why?" Rhydian's blue eyes flashed with passion, concern. "Do you know the seriousness of what he's asking of you? Would you really reveal the secret of wolfbloods to help someone you don't even know?"

The slender girl tensed up even more. "I may not know him, but I do know he's not a bad person, Rhydian. I'm not doing it for him, anyway."

Rhydian sighed. "Then WHY?"

Maddy felt an unexpected tear slip down her left cheek. "Because…" She shuddered, thinking back to the feeling of helplessness as Konstantin had held her, crushed in his grip. That feeling of being physically violated almost, being totally at someone else's mercy, came roaring back into focus in Maddy's head like this nightmare which just wouldn't stop. Why did a few split seconds have to leave such a scar? Why couldn't she just forget? All she wanted to do was forget sometimes, but she couldn't—and deep down Mads felt the best thing to do was to fight back, to make it so that Segolia couldn't do to others what they'd done to her.

The girl's eyes glistened with unshed tears, reflecting starlight.

"Because, Rhydian…you saw them. Natasha and the others. They're the type who do what they have to do, and they don't—they don't care what kind of damage they leave behind. In that clearing that day they could have killed me, in a heartbeat. They chose not to, not that time. But how many other wolfbloods have they intimidated? Hurt? Maybe actually killed? If you're asking me, can I live with the idea of this shadowy group of wolfbloods thinking they can use their power and influence to do whatever they like to other wolfbloods…then my answer is maybe not. Maybe if it's a choice between letting bad wolfbloods rule or letting the secret of what we are out into the world, I don't know Rhydian. As crazy as it sounds, I don't think the choice is so clear-cut."

Maddy's little outburst made Rhydian suck in a sharp breath. He tried to take a step forward, but she just took a step back. She saw the upheaval, the anger on his face. Or was it something else?

"Maddy, you can't mean that!"

Maddy touched the faded mark on her neck. A shiver of pain tore through her. Konstantin's cruel touch, it felt frighteningly fresh. Still too raw. As real as if it had just happened. Rhydian reached for her again. She tried to take another step back.

"Maddy, please." Rhydian controlled his breathing and schooled his features, softening them with superhuman effort. "Let me touch you. Don't think of…him. This is me, Mads. I would never hurt you. I would never let anyone get away with hurting you." Maddy closed her eyes as Rhydian cupped the side of her face. His thumb brushed away the trace of wetness on the smoothness of her cheek. She leaned in to his touch. Again, his warmth wiggled its way inside her and coursed everywhere through her body. Rhydian's hand on her face was like a mini-sun pouring heat and nourishment in all directions until Maddy's pain fled—for now.

"Maddy, I know it's hard to see it this way, but Segolia isn't just one monolithic thing. They have good people working for them and bad. They're not all evil. Some of them have sacrificed so much to protect us. To protect all wolfbloods."

Maddy recoiled, but Rhydian enfolded her in his arms. She shook her head emphatically as fresh tears came. She could feel the sadness in his tone, yet he stubbornly held her close and made her listen to him even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"God, I hate myself now…for making you cry," he muttered, "but since I've gone this far, I may as well tell you the truth. Jana hunted Natasha down after what happened in the clearing that day, when you got hurt. She made Natasha see us as equals. She made Natasha suffer for letting Konstantin hurt you." Maddy gasped, her tears forgotten momentarily as she focused on Rhydian's words.

"Maddy, here's the thing. Jana is a good alpha, one of the best. I trust her. If she says she can work with Natasha, with Segolia…then I believe her."

"Even though it's your dad's life at stake," Maddy croaked, disbelieving. She struggled in his arms, but he just wrapped them around her more tenderly and rested his chin on top of her head. He took in a strong inhale of her intoxicating scent as she reluctantly stopped fighting him and relaxed in his arms. Her tears soaked into the front of his jacket as she rubbed her face against his chest, nuzzling him, taking in his scent too. It comforted her, but not completely—not after what he'd just said.

"And what if I don't see it as you do?" she murmured. "Whatever Natasha says, I don't trust her. Gerwyn, your dad—he's someone I do trust, Rhydian." Maddy sighed against Rhydian's chest. "Feelings don't always translate …and I can't make you understand, Rhydian. Deep down, though, I think Jana's making a mistake. Nothing you can say right now is going to change my mind on this."

With a groan of frustration that sounded like he just might die that very second, Rhydian cupped the back of Maddy's head and planted a fierce kiss against her hair.  

"And people say I'm stubborn. You and Jana are two stubborn-as-hell alpha females who'd be a match made in heaven." He pulled away just enough to read her expression. "Or hell more likely," he said with a sad smile. "How about we do this…" Rhydian began. He gently stroked his thumb across Maddy's lower lip in this totally unexpected, almost too-intimate gesture that mesmerized Maddy.

"Jana is coming down to Stoneybridge with my mum Ceri and some of the other members of the pack to question Natasha before our dinner meet-up next week. They're coming to verify whether Natasha can be trusted to do what she says she'll do. To abide by the conditions we've agreed, which include Segolia treating my dad humanely and giving him a fair hearing. There are those in my old pack who feel exactly as you do, Mads." Rhydian sighed as Maddy gave him a doubtful look. "It's true. I'm not just saying this to make you happy. So look," Rhydian huffed, "let's agree to disagree right now. It doesn't mean we can't still be open with each other. You tell me if Gerwyn contacts you, what he says, if he asks you to do anything for him. In return I'll keep you updated on the negotiations between Jana's pack and Segolia."

Rhydian rubbed Maddy's shoulders as she shivered in the cold. "I'll do my best to convince you that helping Segolia bring in my dad is the right thing to do. I won't stop until I make you understand, Maddy, but until then I promise to always respect your feelings."

Maddy nodded numbly. It wasn't exactly what she'd been hoping to hear from Rhydian tonight, but she decided she would respect his feelings too—even if she really couldn't understand them.

"Rhydian…" Maddy took his hand and put it up to her heart. She sighed, staring pensively as she lost herself in the touch of his hand on her chest, his warmth penetrating the fabric of her jacket like it wasn't even there.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Rhydian's blue eyes sparkled like the stars above.

"For what?"

"For trying to understand, even though we don't agree." A smile tugged up Maddy's lips.

"And for what else?" Rhydian prodded.

"And for calling Jana's pack Jana's pack," Maddy said, a stupidly wide grin coming out. "Which means we're your new pack. My parents and me. We're. Your. Pack." Maddy loved the taste of those words on her tongue. They set a new thought in motion, not unwelcome.

We may not see eye-to-eye, but maybe we can get through this together. He thinks he's going to wear me down. I'll show him. We'll see who wears who down first…

THE NEXT DAY, IN THE WOODS NEAR STONEYBRIDGE…

The imposing Nordic wolfblood stopped and stared. Natasha put up her hand. Her beta, Samuel, froze too. On the ground, rimmed in frost, there he lay. The body had started to smell, but it wasn't bad…yet. His eyes stared blankly upward at the bleak, overcast afternoon sky. Konstantin's strongly chiseled face looked defiant in death.

"Gerwyn's doing?" Samuel whispered. Natasha shook her head. Her eyes turned that liquid yellow, caramel and tiger's eye churning together.

"No." Natasha sniffed as black veins covered her face like webbings along cracked glass. "She's disguised her scent well, but I still smell the faintest trace…"

"Who?" Samuel growled.

"Jana."

Chapter Text

Ch. 19 - The Murderer Uncovered

KRANWICK POND, NEAR STONEYBRIDGE…

Jana's heart seized up as she heard the hiss of a projectile fired from somewhere hidden in the trees. The wolfblood stiffened and fell, limp as a discarded puppet…and all Jana could think was—this was an ambush after all…

KRANWICK POND, A SHORT TIME EARLIER…

Kranwick Pond was just an 'L-shaped' splash of water north and west of Stoneybridge. There was nothing special about it, especially on a day like today: the dreary, wet sky draped over it like a smudged shower curtain. Meanwhile the trees dripped with the constant drizzle of rain. Soggy grass gave way to mud as six wolfbloods bounded into view. Today Kranwick Pond did matter, if for just one reason—Natasha had announced it as their new meeting place, changing plans with Jana on short notice.

Jana emerged from the tree line first, followed by Ceri and Matei at her heels, with Emilia, Meinir, and Aran close behind. The pack quickly morphed into human form and took shelter under two willow trees by the pond. It was just barely cold enough to make their breaths come out in foggy puffs in the morning air.

"This is the biggest waste of time," Aran huffed.

Meinir laughed, a sound dripping with scorn. "Yes, Jana. What a lovely little meet-up you've arranged for us. I can tell that this strange alpha from 'Segolia' you want to partner up with, she must be so very trustworthy. Perhaps she'll change the meeting place a few more times to keep us on our toes. Maybe when we finally get to meet her and she says 'Jump,' you can ask her 'How high?'"

Jana's eyes flashed yellow. She bared her teeth and gave a low, warning growl. Meinir turned away instead of challenging her alpha outright, but the lack of respect spoke of trouble in the pack.

Ceri broke in with a withering shot that had more tension crackling.

"Meinir, do you know why Jana is our pack leader even though you're just as ambitious and nearly twice her age? Because she's not a short-sighted fool who panders to her prejudices. These Segolia wolfbloods may be 'tames,' but the medicines they offer us would save lives—the lives of many of our cubs." Meinir stiffened, Aran growled to defend Meinir, and Emilia and Matei—well, they just gaped.

Meinir was tough, but Ceri could be imposing too. The wolfblood mother was well built, with huge, vivid blue eyes that could go from placid to intense in the blink of an eye. Her wavy, charcoal hair flowed down her back like the mane of a lion as Ceri stared Aran down. Meinir, well, she was another story.

"Ha. So you say this now, Ceri. Yet the old 'you' would have agreed with me. Ever since you became resigned to Rhydian living among humans and learning their ways, you've grown…soft. We have no business doing anything with tame wolfbloods. Let Segolia keep their medicines. Our pack has survived without them for over a thousand years. Why take a risk we don't need?"

Meinir had smoky eyes which held a primal spark that went beyond even most wild wolfbloods. Sometimes she seemed to have the personality of sandpaper. Often she cared not one whit what others thought of her, not even Jana.

"Fine for you to say such things now," Ceri spat right back. She eyed Aran. "When Aran's niece Khamee fell ill and nearly died last winter, would you have been so indifferent to medicines then, Meinir? Hmm? Because I can already tell you, judging from the look on Aran's face right now, he's more willing to defend your honor than your point of view." 

"Enough!" Jana snarled. "Meinir, if Natasha's last minute change to our meeting spot means this is a trap, then we will need to be on our guard. No time for bickering. We came early to the meet for a reason. I want you to scout the perimeter and give us the signal if you see anything out of sorts. If anything goes wrong, remember, we follow the plan."

Meinir nodded at Jana with grudging respect. "It will be as you say." And with that, she slipped away.

Meanwhile a hint of fear had corrupted Matei's normally calm, collected demeanor. He gently took Jana's hand and brought it to his lips. Jana let him only because she knew it would help ease his anxiety, and who knew, maybe even hers too.

"Any idea why Natasha changed the meeting spot?" Matei murmured.

"No. I asked, but she wouldn't say."

"That's encouraging," Emilia whispered drily. Matei gave his little sister a warning look. You're not helping!

The tension grew thick as the pack waited with the drip of rain and the cawing of birds to keep them company. Still no signal from Meinir a half hour later, which Jana counted as a good thing.

Did I make a mistake trusting Natasha? The thought ate away at Jana like acid. Why did I listen to Matei and bring his little sister with us? Ugh. If anything happens to Emilia, it will be my fault. As if he could read her thoughts, Matei suddenly put a hand on her shoulder. He gently massaged the tightened muscles there as their eyes met.

"Don't second-guess your instincts now, Jana. I was there with you when we forced Natasha to treat us as equals, remember? I think she respects you, despite the rocky start the two of you had. I think if she was going to backstab you, there would be easier ways…"

"You think?" Jana said, not taking any comfort despite Matei's valiant attempt. She bit her lip and paced around the base of the two willow trees. Her eyes scanned the tree line for any flicker of movement. Anything at all.

And then she saw them. At first, just two rapidly-growing specks. A pair of wolves sailed down the slope of the ridge due east. One was silver with white streaks and the other was a dull gray with creamy spots. They bound up to Jana and her pack, switching into human form in mid-leap.

Natasha and her second, Samuel, stood as Natasha offered her hand to Ceri, who stood closest.

"Hello. Thank you for meeting me here on such short notice. I'm Natasha and this is my beta, Samuel."

"Your wolf is beautiful," Ceri offered, referring to the silvery gleam of Natasha's fur. Natasha took the compliment and then shook hands with Emilia and Matei. When she tried to take Aran's hand, the wild wolfblood looked at her as if the ritual made no sense. Grudgingly he took the hand anyway. Shook it.

"Why are we meeting here, then?" Jana huffed. "What's with the change of location?" Jana scowled. "The whole point of this meeting was to have you meet my pack-mates and earn their trust. This isn't exactly a fantastic start."

Natasha's angular face morphed into a look of determination that put Jana on edge. The blonde wolfblood stepped forward and suddenly leaned over into Jana's space. She sniffed Jana's hair as the redhead alpha nearly lashed out on instinct.

"Natasha…!?"

The tall, Nordic wolfblood finally stepped back. Why were her eyes suddenly a little sad and bleak, but also more determined than ever?

"I'm sorry, Jana. I just had to be sure."

"Of what?" Jana's eyes narrowed as Matei frowned too.

"A few days ago I discovered one of my pack members murdered. The scent of your shampoo was found at the scene."

Jana flinched. She couldn't resist the blackened veins racing up her arms. This was it—Natasha couldn't be trusted. She'd made up an excuse to backstab Jana and her pack. She'd killed one of her own pack-mates and framed Jana for it…

"Are you accusing me?" Jana prepared to go into wolf form to attack, but then the most astonishing thing happened. Natasha shook her head.

"No. What motive did you have to kill one of my pack, after you were the one wanting to form a lasting partnership between your pack and Segolia? No, I'm afraid the real murderer was someone else. Someone who used a vial of the same scent of shampoo you wear, leaving a trace of it at the scene on purpose while masking his own scent with other smells." Natasha's gaze shifted to Matei before she continued.

"Later on, I doubled back and returned to the place where we'd found Konstantin's body. I roamed the perimeter in a widening arc until I found what I was looking for. The trace of another scent." Natasha swiveled back to look at her beta, Samuel. The beta's green eyes flared with surprise as Natasha pinned him with her stare.

"And Jana, that's when I realized that the one who had the stronger motive would be someone who wanted to sabotage our new partnership. Someone who perhaps felt that working with other wolfbloods was beneath Segolia. Am I right, Samuel?"

Suddenly the space all around crackled with energy. Jana felt like a ticking bomb was about to explode.

Samuel snorted. "What are you on about, Mistress? Of course you smelled my scent. I went with you when we discovered Konstantin's body."

"Then why was your scent found from a direction other than the direction we came from? Why did I find a discarded vial of shampoo along that same trail of your scent?" The beta wolfblood didn't wait to listen to his alpha's damning proof any longer. He exploded into motion, running for the trees.

Jana tensed. What the—? Then she heard it, the hiss of a fired projectile from some hidden point in the trees. She saw Samuel go down. Tranq dart? Most likely, Jana thought. The redhead shook her head in disbelief. This was an ambush after all. Just not meant for us.

Ceri's sudden laughter rang out, casting a bizarre spell over the whole scene. Meanwhile several of Natasha's enforcers had rushed out from the trees and gathered up Samuel's body.

"Something humorous?" Natasha said, glancing at Ceri.

"I admire you."

"Admire me?" Natasha said. Jana was thinking furiously, and she thought she could just put a finger on what Ceri was talking about. Ceri plowed ahead.

"Don't play coy, Natasha. You already knew he was guilty. You could have taken care of it quietly on your own, but you chose to put on a show for us today." Ceri smiled with a tone of admiration still in her voice. "What better way to prove to us that you can be trusted than by outwitting an attempt to frame Jana's pack right in front of us, proving your commitment to Jana in high, dramatic fashion. Well done." Ceri swept low with a grand bow.

Jana's brow arched. "She's right, isn't she?"

Natasha's blue eyes shone with a wry glint. "I'll let you come to your own conclusions."

Aran grumbled, "How do we know you don't have other traitors in your pack, hoping to backstab the unwanted 'wild' wolfbloods you pretend to call friends? Hmm? Why would we work with Segolia if it's filled with treacherous wolfbloods like the one you just stopped?" Aran folded his arms with a 'gotcha' look that made Jana unsure.

Natasha cocked her head. "Fair point. Every new partnership involves risks, Aran. Samuel was my mistake. I'll own up to it. But does that make me weak or Segolia unfit to be a partner to you and Jana's pack? I'm hoping you'll see the benefits, the possible rewards, despite the unsettling element of what you just witnessed. There's no precedent for this." Now Natasha's glacier-blue eyes snared all of them—Ceri, Matei, Emilia, Aran, Jana. "A wild wolfblood pack and Segolia working together? It was never going to be easy. Deep down all of you must have known that already. So, my question to all of you is this—have I shown my commitment? Do you trust me enough to give this thing a chance? Because I see the benefits, too many to count. Finding Gerwyn is just the first step, but there are many steps beyond this one goal. We can learn much from one another, wild wolfbloods and city-dwellers. Can we not? What do you say?"

After the blonde alpha's little speech, even Aran seemed visibly impressed. His face showed just one more flicker of concern as he spoke. "Wait. Where is Meinir? She went to scout when we weren't sure of your intentions and—"

"I'm afraid we had to use a tranq dart on her too—so she wouldn't alert anyone to the ambush arranged for Samuel," Natasha confessed, spreading her hands with an apologetic smile.

"It's your funeral," Aran muttered.

Ceri meanwhile let out another of her booming laughs. "I look forward to watching the—what's the human expression?—fireworks once Meinir comes to."

Jana meanwhile just leaned over and whispered to Matei. "Is this actually happening? Someone pinch me."

"This is actually happening," Matei replied with a grin. "Natasha is dangerous, she's wily, but you know what? I think she's growing on me. I think I might even like her."

Chapter Text

Ch. 20 – Heroic Wolfblood, Part 1 of 2

The 'Big Dinner' was finally here, and Maddy couldn't stop bouncing on her toes. She wore a black halter top and tight-fitting black jeans which she knew would capture Rhydian's attention the moment he stepped through that door. Meanwhile the wolfblood girl had been careful to stay far away from the kitchen.

"Daniel Smith, don't you dare let that chili burn. Keep stirring!" Emma snapped. Yes, the occasional barked order from Emma to Dan told Maddy all she needed to know about her mum's state of mind. Hosting another alpha could be a nerve-wracking affair. Of course Maddy was nervous for an entirely different reason...

Rhydian had texted her that Jana was bringing three pack members she hadn't met yet—including Rhydian's mum! I hope she likes me. What if she doesn't? She's a wild wolfblood though. What if she thinks I'm just a weak 'tame' not worthy of her son? These doubts and many others paraded through Maddy's mind as she caved in to helping lay out the tableware in the dining room.

"Maddy, can you get the door?" Emma called as the doorbell rang. Maddy rushed to the entryway, her heart beating as fast as her footsteps. She opened the door. Jana stood at the front beside a sturdy woman with big, enthralling blue eyes.

"Hi Jana. Please, come in." Maddy ushered them through the entryway as the wolfblood woman with the big blue eyes zeroed in on just her.

"Hello, Maddy. I'm Ceri, Rhydian's mother." The slender wolfblood girl gulped as the looming matriarch stared at her so hard it seemed every past misdeed or secret might be laid bare. Maddy felt naked under that piercing gaze. What Ceri said next didn't exactly help either.

Turning towards Rhydian, Ceri grumbled. "So this is the tame I've heard so much about?"

Rhydian was about to open his mouth to interject, but Ceri kept right on going. "She's very pretty. If she's half as sensible as she is pretty, I may even decide I like her." Ceri turned her back on Maddy, which made Maddy think that Rhydian's mum either resented her or grudgingly accepted her. It was hard to know which.

Rhydian stepped close and gave Maddy a tender hug before pivoting. "Mads, I'd like you to meet my pack-mates, Aran and Meinir. And of course you've already met Matei and Emilia." Meinir gave Maddy a dark look. In fact, she gave the entire interior of the Smiths' house a gloomy once-over. But before Maddy could start to feel self-conscious Emilia bounded right up to her and flung herself straight at the older girl.

"Good—to see you too, Emilia. I'm glad you came," Maddy laughed.

"Me too! I've never been to a meeting of three strong alphas before. This is so cool," Emilia gushed. Maddy's eyebrows quirked up as she gave Rhydian a look.

THREE alphas? What's she talking about?

Yet before Maddy could question, the doorbell rang again. This time when the wolfblood girl answered, the hairs on her neck stood out. Her entire body bristled with anger—and fear.

The blonde wolfblood with the stature of a giantess stood on the Smiths' doorstep. Natasha. Maddy's lips curled back with a growl as the memory came to the surface. Like warm vomit, it spoiled the moment for Maddy and came whether she wanted it to or not. She remembered Konstantin's arms crushing her throat and, most of all, Maddy remembered Natasha's threat that day:

"Konstantin will snap her neck like a twig."  The brown-eyed girl snarled as Rhydian suddenly slid his body over to block Maddy's view. Maddy abruptly found herself pressed to a wall of Rhydian's scent as he cupped her head against his chest and whispered a soothing SHHH.

"Mads, it's all right. She's not going to hurt you. She's here to pay her respects to your parents and be up-front with them about the situation with Gerwyn."

"She shouldn't be here," Maddy growled. Stray tears formed in her eyes only because she had been so hopeful about tonight, meeting Rhydian's mum and everything, and now that mood had just shattered, replaced by the anxiety and the fear. And she hated it. She hated herself for having these feelings she couldn't control. For letting her wolf get the better of her at the very sight of this female alpha, someone she almost wanted to despise.

"What's this? What's going on?" Emma said as she marched over with quick strides. She looked between her distraught daughter and the unfamiliar alpha standing just inside her front door.

The air in the room suddenly grew ten times as dense. You could almost hear the sound of Rhydian's nervous swallowing.

"Who is this?" Emma said, her confusion battling with dismay.

Jana gave a deep bow.

"Forgive me, Emma. I didn't tell you that I would be bringing another alpha with me because…well, I didn't know until the last minute. My pack and the wolfbloods she represents, Segolia—we've formed a partnership. And there's some things we have to tell you, things you have a right to know now that Rhydian is in your pack."

Emma felt Dan abruptly standing at her side. The wolfblood couple presented a united front, giving Natasha a hard stare when they noticed Maddy still cringing, almost whimpering in Rhydian's arms.

Emma's voice snapped like a whip. "Can someone explain to me why your very presence upsets my daughter? Because until I get one, you won't be setting another foot in this house." Natasha's flawless face became stoic. She didn't glance in Maddy's direction. She looked only at Emma, alpha to alpha.

"We met under less than ideal circumstances. I was tracking a dangerous wolfblood fugitive. In doing so, I had to use aggressive tactics. One of my…enforcers went beyond my orders and hurt Maddy in the process." Emma's eyes were yellowing with protective anger as she remembered Maddy coming home last week with the nasty bruise across her neck.

"You have a lot of nerve," Emma growled. "I'm familiar with Segolia and the help they provide to wolfbloods, but I wasn't aware that they now employ thugs." Natasha pushed on to explain before Emma's anger could snowball.

"Please don't jump to conclusions. I punished Konstantin, the wolfblood responsible. In either case, he was killed in a separate tragedy." Natasha glanced at Maddy, a hint of remorse touching her eyes. "I do regret what happened to your daughter. I do not wish her any harm."

"Is that why you threatened Rhydian, telling him you'd have Konstantin 'snap my neck' if he didn't tell you everything he knew?" Maddy had ripped herself free of Rhydian's grip and now she stalked forward as she called Natasha out. She was fearless for now, adrenaline pumping as her wolf snarled inside, ready to tear free and rip its fangs into the enemy. "You think I forgot what you said? How you treated us as just a means to get what you wanted?" Maddy's eyes blazed with the passionate amber-yellow of her wolf. Darkening veins crisscrossed her forehead.

"I said those words to scare Rhydian into telling me the truth about whether he knew the whereabouts of his father. It had the desired effect," Natasha replied evenly. "I did what I believed I had to do." The wolfblood woman nodded stiffly at Emma. "I will leave if you wish. But for the safety of your pack, for all wolfbloods, I sincerely hope you let me stay." Natasha bowed carefully as Emma's anger cooled to a shrewd, calculating appraisal. She folded her arms across her chest and looked at Natasha for a moment which felt far longer to the rest of the wolfbloods in the room.

"Well, it seems that there is a lot I wasn't told," Emma said briskly, glancing at Maddy and Rhydian as her expression tightened. "Please, Natasha, why don't you sit down? It seems we have a great deal to discuss." Emma seated Natasha and Maddy at opposite ends of the dining room table and then proceeded to pester Dan into dredging up an extra table for Natasha's pack. There were seven more wolfbloods with her, all of them enforcers. They made for an intimidating group packed along one side of the elongated dining room while Jana's pack-mates and the Smiths ranged on the other side.

The next half hour was a tense exchange as Jana confessed how she, Rhydian, and Maddy had originally met Natasha. Jana finished with a resigned look as Emma's focus on her went from polite interest to outright glaring.

"I know what you're probably feeling right about now…" Jana hedged.

"Oh, I don't think that you do," Emma said primly. "You ask me to take in one of your wolfbloods, Rhydian, as part of my pack, and then you fail to tell me that his father is a fugitive from Segolia. Do you know how that makes me feel?" Emma said, pointedly switching her gaze towards Rhydian and Maddy. "It makes me feel betrayed." Dan put a hand on Emma's arm as her eyes slipped into wolf-mode.

"Love, why don't you let me speak? Let's not lose our focus." Dan looked over at Natasha.

"You still haven't told us what terrible thing Gerwyn did to make himself a fugitive…or why you think it puts all wolfbloods in jeopardy."

Natasha took a fortifying breath. "The truth is, we believe he embezzled funds along with our former head research director, Dr. Kinkaid, now also a fugitive." Natasha's face slid into a grimace. "And the more devastating truth is this—that Dr. Kinkaid developed a serum that inhibits a wolfblood's…wolf…permanently. We believe that Gerwyn also took some of the samples of the serum with him."

A collective gasp came from Emma, Dan, Jana and her pack-mates. Maddy's mouth fell open. Rhydian just blinked in total disbelief. A serum? One that destroys the wolf inside of a wolfblood? The very idea of it felt so wrong, Maddy couldn't help but shudder. No wonder Segolia was so keen to hunt Gerwyn down. Had that intangible trust Maddy had felt with Gerwyn been so far off base? Were my instincts all completely wrong? Maddy didn't want to believe it. But before she could rope together her tangle of incoherent thoughts, the dinner took a turn for the worse for Maddy. Much worse.

Rhydian stood up. "Emma, Daniel, I want to personally apologize. I should have told you about my father right away. The last thing I wanted was for my family baggage to endanger your family, especially Maddy." The handsome, blue-eyed boy looked sadly at Maddy. Then he took a deep breath, as if gathering whatever courage he had left. "Now I know Maddy is going to hate me for saying this, but after all the mistakes I've made, the last thing I want to do is hold anything back from you."

"What do you mean?" Jana broke in, confused.

Rhydian nodded at Emma. "I told Maddy not to get involved, but the truth is that she won't listen to me, and you're her parents, and like me you don't want her to get hurt, so I have to tell you even though Maddy's going to hate me for it."

"Tell us what?" Emma and Dan said at once, voices rising. Maddy was looking at Rhydian furiously, frantically, shaking her head. Her eyes pleaded with Rhydian—No, you can't say it. Don't you dare tell my parents.

"Gerwyn contacted Maddy for help, insisted on his innocence, and Maddy…Maddy agreed to help him. She has a flash drive with evidence of wolfbloods on it, which Gerwyn entrusted to her. Evidence my father was considering having Maddy release if Segolia didn't back down."

Maddy's parents stared at her, just gaping with awful realization. "Is this true?" Daniel said. The hurt in her father's eyes nearly undid Maddy. She put her face in her hands. How had this night gone so wrong so quickly? She looked up, her eyes glistening with anger, sadness, a feeling that she'd been betrayed too. Rhydian didn't trust me. He should have trusted me! was all Maddy could think. She felt betrayed by the boy she was falling in love with…and it hurt like broken glass in her chest.

"What do you want me to say?" Maddy cried, feeling every pair of eyes on her. If she'd felt naked before, now she felt…naked and tiny. She wanted to crawl into the deepest, darkest hole and die. Natasha had stood up now. Her expression was a barely contained mask with fury behind it.

"Give me the flash drive, cub," Natasha hissed. "I won't be—"

"I'll handle this!" Emma stormed. "She's my cub, my responsibility." Her head whipped over towards her daughter. "Madeline Smith…upstairs, NOW."

The entire table sat in uneasy silence as they pretended not to hear the shouting (mostly Emma) and the sobbing (mostly Maddy) which soon came from upstairs. About fifteen minutes later Emma came marching downstairs with a shell-shocked Maddy drifting behind her. Maddy's cute face had crumpled into something almost unrecognizable. Emma strode over to Natasha and deposited the flash drive in the palm of the alpha's hand.

"There, you have it. It's the only copy," Emma said softly. Natasha thanked her as she tucked the flash drive away.

Meanwhile, Rhydian leaned over and noticed Maddy's puffy-red face streaked with tears.

"Maddy," he began gently. She slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me." She stared straight ahead, a vacant look in her eyes. Maddy felt so many emotions at once—but mostly she felt shame. Shame that she'd let down her parents, her pack, that she'd been wrong about Gerwyn after all. And, oddly enough, she also felt betrayed by Rhydian, who'd revealed what she'd told him in confidence, about her meeting with Gerwyn. She felt as if he had thrown away that trust to ingratiate himself with everyone else. Maybe that was what hurt most of all.  

Meanwhile Dan slipped an arm around Emma's shoulders, sensing the lingering anger in his alpha's stiff posture. Emma glanced at Maddy, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"Madeline, I think you should go up to your room. You can say goodbye to our guests on your way up."

The wolfblood teen swiped at a treacherous tear and stood up in a rush, her chair skidding back and toppling over. She headed towards the stairway with lurching steps when the unthinkable happened. On a night when nothing had gone according to plan, Maddy was about to discover that the insanity had just begun.

The doorbell rang. Everyone froze. Not sure why she even bothered, Maddy stalked over to the door. Yanked it open. And then her jaw hit the floor.

"Hello, Maddy. May I come in? I hope I'm not interrupting."

Disheveled in a parka and jeans, in through the doorway walked a wanted man. A wanted wolfblood.

Gerwyn.

Chapter Text

Ch. 21 – Heroic Wolfblood, Part 2 of 2

The tension in the Smiths' house could have created a dozen nervous breakdowns as Gerwyn walked slowly into the Smiths' living room. With the downstairs layout wide open he could see everyone at the tables and everyone could see him. Maddy could hardly breathe. She had to remind herself to blink.

Emma shot up from the table. "Madeline, go up to your room."

Maddy didn't even try to argue. Of course that didn't mean she was going to do what she was told either…

Has Gerwyn lost his mind? Maddy could feel her entire body trembling with curiosity as she trudged up the stairs. She pretended to go to her room, making the footsteps believable. Then she snuck back, crouched at the top of the stairs. Listened.

"Natasha, I'll remind you this is my house," Emma began. "Please sit while I greet our unexpected—"

"This is the Gerwyn I spoke of," Natasha hissed. Her low growl threatened to unleash something worse.

Rhydian couldn't help it. "Dad?" Dan placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. He looked uncertainly at Emma, who looked back at him just as uncertainly.

"There's no need for trouble," Gerwyn said, looking Natasha squarely in the eyes. "I haven't come to resist. I've come because…well, it's the right thing to do. To turn myself in. Whether or not I'm innocent of what you think I've done—and I am, by the way—in the end it doesn't really matter. I don't, I don't want anyone else to get hurt on my account." He turned his focus to Rhydian. "I'm tired of being selfish. Of sacrificing the other people in my life. I shouldn't have involved anyone else in my mess with Dr. Kincaid, Victoria Sweeney, Segolia, all of it—least all of you and your new pack, Rhydian."

Rhydian began to get up, but Dan pressed his hand down on the boy's shoulder to keep him still.

Gerwyn shrugged with a self-effacing grin. "I've never been a part of your life, Rhydian. I know there's nothing I can do to make up for that, but I'd like to try." He sighed. "Of course, if you think you're better off not having me in your life, I'll accept whatever you decide. Segolia can lock me up and throw away the key if they like. I wasn't in your life before, and maybe…who knows, maybe your life is the better for it. Maybe your life will be all the better for it, if things stay that way. I guess that's for you and the powers-that-be to decide." Gerwyn took off his hat. He stared at it. "I've always thought about my own needs above anyone else." He glanced over at his former mate, at Ceri. The wolfblood woman's blue eyes churned like waves in a hurricane.

"Your mum knows that better than anyone," Gerwyn said. He looked around the whole room then, actual tears forming like pinpricks. "I deserve whatever's coming to me, so why fight it? Why put my family through this when I could spare them that. All of it." His gaze finally slid back to Natasha, and in his face there was only a solemn depth. Like a man about to ask for his last meal.

"Will you just leave Rhydian and the Smiths alone? You have me now. You don't need to hound them or hurt them. Please. This is all I ask." Gerwyn's tone dipped low. His face contorted with pain and grief as he swiped at his tired eyes. "Maybe this is the first GOOD decision I've made in my life in a long, long time. Help me make it count." He came over to Natasha and put out his wrists. A hush had fallen over the whole room.

It was like no one could believe their own eyes. Natasha recovered first. She motioned to one of her enforcers. "Cuff him." The wolfblood moved to obey when suddenly the smell of smoke drifted into the room. A bright glow sprang up on the other side of the closed window curtains. Everyone in the dining room sprang out of their chairs and at that exact moment a Molotov cocktail smashed through the dining room window, setting the curtains on fire. Followed by another. And another. Soon the tablecloth had gone up in flames too. The third cocktail caught the rug alight. Smoke drifted everywhere. The fire was spreading. Maddy rushed to the second-floor guest bedroom window to look out.

A wall of fire blazed around the house. She sniffed and caught the distinct whiff of lighter fluid or some kind of accelerant. She quickly ducked back inside to avoid looking too long at the flames. From downstairs meanwhile she heard whimpers and panicked growls. Someone's trying to kill us…ALL of us. Maddy tried to think, which was nearly impossible because her wolf didn't want to let her. The wolf was frantic. Fire. A wolf's worst fear—the stuff of wolfblood nightmare. She knew that this very second all of the wolfbloods, even the strong alphas, they'd be frozen in panic with their wolves completely terrified. It brought her back to that day she had tried to save Shannon from the fire at the Bradlington High chem lab. Once she'd seen the fire, she'd hardly been able to move, she'd just crouched down with her wolf in a complete panic until she'd passed out from the smoke.

Think! Think Mads! Judging from the smoke pouring up the stairs, the fire had already reached inside the house. The moment I see those flames close up I'll go into full-out panic just like all the others. Then I'll be useless—huddling in some corner growling or whimpering. They would all stay trapped in the house as fire and smoke filled it to make it their tomb.

"Maddy!" Rhydian's anguished voice sailed up the stairs. He sounded like he was caught in the same throes of terror as all the others downstairs, yet still he yelled her name. "Get out! Just go!" Here he was, about to burn to death, and all he could do was worry about her? Maddy would have been furious at him if she didn't have a crisis on her hands. Her phone was downstairs out of reach. It was night, dark, the smoke would be hard to see. By the time Fire and Rescue came it would be too late. Someone had to escape and raise the alarm.

An idea sparked through Maddy's head. She tore through the upstairs bathroom, yanked open the linen closet door with so much force it bashed a hole in the wall as the door bounced off. She pulled out a spare blanket and turned on the shower full blast. She threw the blanket in the bath tub and stepped into the tub herself. She picked up the blanket and wrapped it around herself as both she and the blanket became completely soaked.

You get one chance at this, Mads. One chance. She waited until she felt fifty pounds heavier with water soaking her shirt, her bra, her jeans, everything, then she bolted into the hallway and ran for the nearest upstairs window. She kept her eyes closed as soon as she reached the open window. She remembered the distance by heart. I can make it. She jumped to the ground, crouching to absorb the shock as the earth rushed up to her meet her. Then she sprinted ahead towards the wall of fire which glowed beyond her closed eyelids. The wolfblood girl ignored the pummeling of her wolf's fears. She pulled the sopping-wet blanket up over her head as she felt the aura of heat curling around her. It became so intense she felt as if she'd been set on fire. She didn't look as she ran through the flames with just a soggy blanket for a shield.

Then she was through. The sensation of being trapped inside an oven set to 'Bake' at 500 degrees vanished and she just kept running. The wolfblood girl flung off the soggy blanket, which was now smoking after being exposed to the flames. She ran as if fire still licked at her heels. She ran with a will she'd never known before. Her feet might as well have been wings because later she couldn't remember a thing. Suddenly she was just there, a mile down the road at her neighbor's house, banging on the door and screaming for all she was worth.

"HELP US! HELP US! PLEASE HELP US!" Maddy was about to kick down the door as Mrs. Wheatley opened it.

THREE HOURS LATER…

A pretty brunette sat in her sterile blue gown surrounded by sterile white walls. Nurses, doctors, and EMTs rushed to and fro like busy ants in a colony. She could hardly contain herself. The short wolfblood girl strained her neck, trying to see over or around the shifting sea of people as she sat in the emergency room.

"Mum? Dad? Rhydian?" she called out. "Jana? Matei?" She called out all their names, increasingly frantic. They'd been separated in the chaotic aftermath. Maddy wasn't sure if she'd have a house to go back to tomorrow and she didn't give a damn. She just wanted to know that the people she cared about were all right.

A straight-backed nurse with glasses bustled over. Maddy squinted at the nametag. Ruth.

"Sweetheart, stop shouting."

"I need to find my parents. And my boyfriend. They were in a fire. Someone set our house on fire and nearly killed us and I need to make sure they're okay!" Maddy all but shouted. The nurse actually reminded Maddy of Tom's mother, Dr. Okanawe. Just then a no-nonsense figure clothed in white practically knocked the nurse out of the way.

"Maddy?" Dr. Okanawe's warm brown eyes tightened with concern. "Let's take a good look at you. Sweetie, are you all right?"

"Yes…no! Please, can you help me, Mrs. O? Someone set our house on fire and I heard they got everyone out, but no one's told me anything. My mum and dad—"

Dr. Okanawe put her hand on Maddy's shoulder. "Stay put, Maddy, and I'll find out what's going on. Don't move, yeah? I mean it." Maddy nodded, trying to sniffle and hold back her tears. What if I wasn't fast enough? What if Fire and Rescue didn't get there in time? Maddy thought of the last words she'd said to Rhydian. 'Don't touch me.' Were those the last words he would ever hear her say? Even if they'd gotten everyone out, most people in a fire didn't die from the fire itself. They died from breathing in the smoke. Rhydian could be dead. Her parents could be dead too. Maddy recalled the look of disappointment on her parents' faces after they'd discovered how she'd kept yet another secret from them, the whole Gerwyn disaster.

It was one thing to lose the people you loved the most, and without being able to say goodbye. But losing the people you loved when the last words or expressions you told them or remembered about them were ones of heartbreak—that possibility made Maddy want to howl in pain—as if someone had torn her beating heart right out of her chest. She felt like she was trapped in a cage and that she'd die if she didn't break free in two seconds. The wolfblood girl tried to keep the black veins from racing up her arms and wrists.

Oh Mum. Dad. Rhydian. Please…I'm so sorry. I’m so sorry. I'm so sorry. She just broke down and sobbed. With the adrenaline wearing off, she finally could. Maddy's survival-mode had finally collapsed, leaving her to fend for herself with the storm of her emotions raging.

Maddy couldn't properly gauge the passing of time. A half hour might have passed. It could have been a lot more. She cried so hard that tears had even dripped down to soak the upper part of her hospital gown, and the waterworks weren't showing any signs of stopping. Then, a small miracle happened. Suddenly two familiar faces came into view as Tom and Shan rushed into the emergency room and made a beeline for Maddy.

"Mads!" Tom shouted. He rushed up to the hospital bed she was sitting on. "Mads, are you all right? My mom said you and your parents were in a fire?" Before Tom could say another thing Maddy had latched onto him with the most desperate hug in human history. She cried into his shoulder as he hugged her back tightly. "Hey, I've got ya." Maddy felt Shan hugging her from behind. To have two of her best mates surrounding her with their warmth, their scent—it restored Maddy's sanity in a way almost nothing else could.

"Mads, your parents are all right. Tom's mom told us which room they're recuperating in. We'll take you there now," Shan said gently.

"They're okay?" Maddy cried. She let Tom and Shan lead her through the hallways. She had a surprising limp to her gait. Her ankle throbbed painfully with each step. Apparently she hadn't pulled off the leap from the second-story window as perfectly as she'd thought.

"My parents, they're…?" Maddy's thoughts came in semi-coherent fragments. "Thank you. Without you…I would've lost my mind just waiting there. Not knowing. I moved as fast as I could. I went through the fire and then I made it to the Wheatleys' to get help and then—" She sniffled as Tom squeezed her hand. Shan tugged her by her fingers as they led her gingerly around the corner. Shan was now patting her hand.

"Mads, try not to think too much. Just relax. Maybe get a little sleep once we get you reunited with your parents, yeah? You must be exhausted after what you've been through," Shan said.

Maddy nodded, trying to empty her mind, but she couldn't…not until she knew everyone had survived.

Then—there they were, Room 207. The door opened and two adults in the same boring blue hospital gowns came rushing up to Maddy. Emma and Dan squeezed her in a group hug as fresh tears of joy spilled down Maddy's cheeks. Maddy's heart leapt through the ceiling.

"Mum! Dad!"

"Oh Maddy." Tom and Shan withdrew to give the Smiths a little privacy. Maddy sat down on the bed between her parents, leaning against her dad's side. Emma stroked her daughter's hair. Daniel rubbed her daughter's shoulder lovingly and kissed her hair, which to him might as well have been precious strings of brown pearls.

"We're so thankful you're safe, pet. We were worried to death," Emma whispered.

Daniel nodded. "Your mother was a basket-case, I can vouch for that." Mother, father, and daughter all chuckled at that even as they wiped away the last of their tears.

"You saved us, Maddy. You saved us all," Emma said suddenly.

Maddy looked up at her mother's face. Gone was the disappointment. In it she could see only two things. Admiration. Love.

"The doctor told us if you hadn't acted so quickly and gotten help when you did…" Emma and Dan both squeezed their daughter in a tender hug for the ages. "You were so brave," Emma murmured. "Jumping from the second-story window and running through that fire." Maddy heard a note of disbelief in both her parents' voices.

"We're so proud of you," Daniel said. And suddenly it was like the whole world had tipped back onto its proper axis. There was just one thing Maddy still had to know.

What about Jana and her pack? What about the others? And most of all—what about Rhydian?

Chapter Text

Ch. 22 – Maddy Ambushed

Six days had passed since the house fire. Since they'd all nearly died. One of Natasha's wolves had died of smoke inhalation and Rhydian, well…Rhydian hadn't survived unscathed. They hadn't let Maddy see him that awful night, but later she found out that he had third degree burns. None were outwardly visible when he wore his school uniform, but sometimes Maddy found herself wondering. Jana and Matei spoke of it like a badge of honor. They referred to Rhydian as 'the Firewalker.'

As for Maddy, getting ready for school this morning, right now she wasn't sure what to feel. She and Rhydian had barely talked since that night. It was hard to know what to say. Maddy felt Rhydian had betrayed her trust, and she'd kept her distance from him ever since. For his part, he'd offered up some olive branches. None had succeeded…yet.

Now Dan was flipping over pancakes as tempting smells swirled through the kitchen. Maddy sniffed and spied her mum making bacon and French toast. Her stomach rumbled like Stoneybridge's next earthquake.

"Hungry, pet? What would you like?"

Maddy eased her tush onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. Sections of the house were still boarded up awaiting repairs from the fire damage. Meanwhile large sections of flooring were also cordoned off after all the water damage caused by Fire and Rescue putting out the fire. The whole place resembled a war zone—except for the Smiths' kitchen, which had somehow, miraculously, survived intact.

The slender wolfblood girl switched her gaze back and forth between her parents. Finally she just gave up. "One of each please?"

"I think we can handle that." Emma smiled as she emptied two slices of French toast, four strips of bacon, and one egg sunny-side up onto a plate. Dan topped it off with a blueberry pancake. But as Emma slid the plate onto the counter for Maddy's enjoyment, the teen wolfblood frowned.

"Something wrong, cub?"

Maddy groaned. "I'd tell you to stop calling me 'cub,' but after what I pulled not telling you about Gerwyn…well, I guess I deserve it." The girl moved the food around on her plate. She didn't take a single bite.

Dan turned around, eying his daughter. "Are you going to stop deflecting the question and give your mum a proper answer?"

"Will you guys stop being so nice to me?" Maddy huffed. Both wolfblood parents looked stunned.

"Excuse me?" Emma said.

"Just—ugh. I'm tired of waiting for the hammer to fall. Just tell me my punishment for keeping secrets from you. After we'd just recently had that long discussion about how I wasn't supposed to keep any secrets from you guys, I went ahead and kept a huge secret from you, and it all turned out nearly as the worst disaster ever. So yes…can we just get it over with? I'm tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just tell me…how many weeks am I grounded? What privileges are you taking away? Can we—I don't know, can we just put me out of my misery?"

Maddy looked at her parents, who were both regarding her thoughtfully.

Daniel rubbed the stubble on his chin and crossed his ankles as he leaned back against the cooktop.

"Your mum and I have already decided on a punishment, actually."

"You have? Why didn't you tell me?" Maddy cried.

Emma came over and put an arm around her daughter before giving her a side-hug. "Actually, we're not punishing you, Maddy."

Maddy was taking a sip of juice. She coughed as it nearly exploded out her nose. "What?! Really?"

Emma nodded as Dan looked bemused.

"Why?" Maddy had to know.

Emma rubbed Maddy's back as Dan met his daughter's astonished look. "How did it work out, Maddy, you keeping your secrets about Gerwyn?"

Maddy swallowed. "It was terrible. We could have all been killed. If I'd just told Gerwyn no and told you guys everything from the start, the whole bloody disaster could have been avoided. The night of the fire I felt awful. I still do."

Emma joined in. "Exactly, young lady. You experienced firsthand the consequences of your actions. You didn't tell us about a potential threat to our pack, and as a result we weren't properly prepared for any danger."

"I know," Maddy muttered, miserable.

"But you see, Maddy, we also understand some things too," Dan said. "We know you. You don't keep secrets to hurt people. You don't keep secrets to benefit yourself. You don't do it for selfish reasons—you do it because you care. Granted, sometimes too much and sometimes letting your emotions cloud your judgment, as we've seen." Dan sighed. "You do it because you've got your mother's genes. You're an alpha female, Madeline, whether we like it or not."

Dan leaned over the island and affectionately mussed his daughter's hair. "You feel the need to take on too much sometimes. Sometimes you use poor judgment. Yet here's the thing—with the entire Gerwyn fiasco, no punishment we can mete out to ya, nothing your mum or I can say or do, will make you feel as awful as you did after that night. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Maddy murmured.

"See, pet?" Emma said with a sad smile. "You've already had your punishment. You learned the hard way, but sometimes that's what growing up has to be…and your dad and I have decided to accept it—on one condition."

"Name it," Maddy said breathlessly. Her cute face was schooled into the most innocent façade she could muster.

"Don't be so hard on Rhydian. We know you've ignored him all week. We know you don't want to talk to him because you think he 'betrayed' your trust, Maddy. But he cares about you. He's a conscientious young man, and what he did, he did for the right reasons."

"And we approve of him," Dan added.

Emma threw him a warning look. "I wouldn't go that far." Dan coughed. "Point is, don't let a really good thing wither and die because of a silly misunderstanding. Talk to him."

"Why should I?" Maddy huffed between bites of egg and bacon. "He clearly didn't mind humiliating me in front of three different packs. Whether he cares about me or not, if that's how he acts, then there's not a thing I can say that he'll keep in trust. I don't want a friend I can't trust. Or a boyfriend," Maddy said, rolling her eyes when her parents frowned.

"Look, I have to get going. Thanks for the breakfast, Mum, Dad. Love you to bits." She leaned over, kissing Emma on the cheek and then rushed over to her dad. He wrapped her up in a big hug.

"When will you be home?" Dan asked as she grabbed her rucksack to fly out the door.

"I have a photography club meeting with Shan and Tom after school, and we're hoping to catch a bite at Bernie's afterward with Harry. (We think he might have a thing for Shan.) Don't wait up." And with that, the wolfblood girl vanished through the door on her way to school.

A SHORT TIME LATER…

It was a beautiful day. Spring was starting to unfold. Birds noisily announced their comeback. The sun shone through the occasional cloud. Vivid blues painted the rest of the sky. Maddy was walking on the footpath to school. Ever since the fire, she'd wanted more time by herself. That meant avoiding the bus. Maybe it was just to think things through. There was a lot on her mind after everything that had happened. She still couldn't believe Natasha's call from yesterday. Her mum had left the phone on speaker mode as she and Dad had huddled around listening to Natasha's announcement.

"We captured the human responsible for the attack on your home. It was Dr. Kincaid."

"The human who worked for Segolia?" Emma said. "No wonder he knew the one type of attack that would neutralize an entire house full of wolfbloods."

"Yes, one and the same. You and your family are safe now though. We all are. You have my word on it," Natasha assured.

"Well, let's hope you're right. The less we see of you, I'll count that as a blessing," Emma said darkly. But next her tone softened. "Thank you, though. I mean it. It was good of you to notify us. I'm glad you caught him."

Maddy came back to the present as the memory faded. It was almost weird, the way normal school stuff felt like such a relief right now. With all the drama going on in Maddy's wolfblood life, she just wanted a normal human life to take shelter in.

The wolfblood girl rounded a bend on the path. She tensed up as she heard the snap of a twig. A figure stepped out onto the pavement, blocking her way. For a second all Maddy saw was the Bradlington High school uniform. Her brow scrunched up.

"Rhydian?"

Chapter Text

Ch. 23 – Getting Maddy Back

Rhydian stood there on the footpath looking kind of…hot. His disheveled blonde hair looked adorable right now, spiked up at different angles. He ran a hand nervously through his head of hair. He looked down. Now he peeked up.

"Um, hi. I have to get to school, Rhydian." Maddy tried to brush by him. He gently caught her elbow. Maddy was about to yank her arm out of his grip when his words stopped her cold.

"It hurts…the scars. They throb almost every day."

"What?"

"The burn scars from that night," Rhydian said. "I know they aren't supposed to hurt anymore, but they do. It's like phantom pains. And each time I feel the pain, I don't think of the fire even. I think of the pain of having lost you."

Those words hit Maddy like a punch to the stomach. The girl opened her mouth, then closed it. She didn't realize she had reached out towards Rhydian until it was too late. "Where…can I see them?" Maddy muttered.

Rhydian nodded, taking off his tie, unbuttoning his uniform and slipping it down his shoulders. Maddy peered at the deltoid muscle on his right shoulder. There was a mass of angry-looking scar tissue about the size of her hand. Burn marks that would never heal. Suddenly Maddy couldn’t help herself. She leaned up on her tiptoes and placed her lips gently against the ruined skin. Rhydian sighed, melted under her touch.

What am I doing? I'm supposed to still be mad at him Maddy told herself. Yet seeing Rhydian's pain, the actual proof of it—knowing that Rhydian's scars were partly because of her—because if she'd just told Gerwyn to leave them alone then probably none of this would have happened… Maddy abruptly felt a knot of guilt twist inside her chest. This is my fault. Rhydian's my pack. I should have protected him. Instead he had to spill my secrets…to protect me from my own dreadful choices.  

That's when it hit her like a lightning bolt. Rhydian hadn't broken her trust. He'd just been trying to protect her from herself. From her own bad decisions. Rhydian hadn't been indifferent about sharing her secrets. He'd only done it because he'd felt he had no other choice. I've been acting all this time as if Rhydian told my secret because he didn't care about humiliating me…but it was in spite of humiliating me that he knew to come forward... That had to be the answer, Maddy realized. That had to be the answer because of the aching, tender way he was looking at her now.

"Oh, Rhydian." Maddy's eyes filled with tears. "Those scars…they're my fault."

"No they're not," he said fiercely. He cupped the side of her face. Maddy closed her eyes and almost hated herself for leaning into his touch. Almost.

"I was so mad at you," she croaked. The anger she'd tried to muster just hadn't come.

"Not anymore," Rhydian murmured. He stroked the side of her face with his fingertips. He gently leaned down until his forehead rested gently against hers.

"Maddy…I've missed you more than I can say."

More tears filled Maddy's eyes. "Don't say that. Here you've been hurting, with these awful scars and I've practically shunned you ever since the attack." Maddy suddenly felt that knot of guilt wind up much tighter. How had she gone from furious with Rhydian to…to this?

"Will you forgive me, Mads?" There's nothing to forgive, Rhydian!

His thumb brushed away the tear which was on the verge of spilling down her cheek. Maddy shuddered. She couldn't take this any longer. She strained upward, taking his mouth in a needy kiss. Rhydian groaned. His arms encircled her lithe body and pulled her against him. Maddy's legs were suddenly wrapping around him as she found the world spinning. He took them away from the footpath and pinned her against a tree. Things were moving fast. Her tie, her shirt was suddenly off and she didn't care. His hot, smoldering skin was flush against hers. She felt the warmth of his scent, his body heat, like the most addictive drug. She kissed him hard and felt a twinge of heat below her waist.

"Rhydian, I'm sorry. I’m sorry I blamed you for doing what you had to do. I was thinking of my own pride and not…I wasn't thinking clearly," Maddy said as she pulled her lips back from his. "I should have…I should have known how much you cared about me. I think…I was just so ashamed of myself, and you—you were someone else I could put some of the blame on, to make myself feel better. And here you've been hurting and I've been so mean to you…"

"You have," Rhydian said, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "You've been a terrible girlfriend, in fact. But I have a few ideas on how you can make it up to me. Letting me kiss you as much as I want, I think I can work with that." He leaned down, laying a trail of kisses along her collar bone, then moving lower.

"Rhydian…" Maddy all but moaned. "Please…we have to get to school. We have to—" Maddy's protests were lost as Rhydian captured her mouth. She responded by kissing him back with a fervor that could have won most kissing contests. His hand snuck up her spine to the strap of her bra, unhooking it so it slid away…and suddenly the heat between their bodies became dangerous.

The sound of voices drifted through the trees.

Shannon. Tom.

"Are you sure Maddy goes this way?" Shan complained. "This can't be right. Maybe we already missed her? She could have left early, Tom."

"No! I know we haven't missed her. She's like clockwork, Shan. In that way she's very much like you."

Maddy and Rhydian stiffened as their cheeks turned bright red. Maddy hastily put her bra back on. Rhydian handed her back her shirt and tie and they started frantically buttoning up their uniforms.

"Are you sure this is such a great idea, Tom? I mean, why do we need to talk to her now? I thought you'd see this as a golden opportunity to get back together with her. I know you still fancy her."

"No, Shan. It's not like that anymore. We tried, it wasn't meant to be—and I've realized something. It's enough for me, knowing we gave it a shot, so I won't have to always wonder, about me and Mads. Besides, I've seen the way Rhydian looks at her and the way Maddy's been so miserable lately, acting as if everything's fine. It almost makes me want to smack her upside the head." Tom's loud sigh pierced the woods like a thunder's rumble. "Whatever he's done, it can't be so bad that she should pretend he doesn't exist. We just need to talk some sense into her, Shan, and that's final."

Shan and Tom nearly jumped out of their skins when two figures stumbled onto the path holding hands.

"Hey guys. What're you doing here?" Maddy said. Tom and Shan eyed Rhydian and Maddy, taking special note of the blonde boy and the short brunette holding hands.

"Right back at ya. What were you two doing in the woods?" Shan said, eyes narrowing.

Maddy self-consciously snatched her fingers out of Rhydian's hand. "Nothing. Rhydian and I were just going for a walk, that's all."

"A walk?" Tom said. He turned to Rhydian. "Is that the story you're sticking to, mate?"

Rhydian looked a smidge defensive. "It's the truth."

And that was when Shannon Kelly and Tom Okanawe burst out laughing. In fact, the teens doubled over, laughing so hard tears nearly formed.

"What exactly is so funny?" Maddy growled.

Tom finally closed his mouth, pointing at the two wolfbloods. "I know you well enough, Mads. There's only one reason your school uniform shirt could be buttoned that cock-eyed."

Shan's wide grin rubbed salt in the wood. "Tom's got you, Mads. You and Rhydian were making out in the woods, weren't ya?" Shan elbowed Tom with a triumphant smile. "Well, that was easier than expected. Looks like our work here is already done."

Tom raised his right hand. He and Shan smacked hands for a high-five.  

"Oh, shut up," Maddy grumbled. But Rhydian had joined in the laughter now. He spun Maddy towards him as the girl opened her mouth to protest.

"They already know, silly girl. No point in hiding it," Rhydian laughed. "Did you mean what you said? About being sorry? Because I forgive you, whatever your faults, smelly girl. You may be a smelly girl, but you're my smelly girl." So saying, Rhydian found Maddy's mouth, his kiss tender and steadfast as Tom and Shan made Ooooh-ing sounds in the background and Maddy realized she couldn't even be troubled to mind. She was too busy kissing Rhydian back. Too busy being grateful.

She broke off the passion of the kiss just long enough to press her lips softly to the spot on his shirt that covered up the ugly scar. Except to the wolfblood girl the scar wasn't ugly. Not anymore. It was beautiful, this beautiful reminder of Rhydian's strength, of how much he had sacrificed for her—of how much he cared about her. Maddy knew it right then. I love you, Rhydian Morris. Whatever happens, you have my back and I have yours, because my wolf was right about you. You're my one, true mate. You're my best friend in the whole world. I feel safe with you. I feel special with you. You make me feel things I've never felt before…and I'll watch over you too. I'll make it up to you for the pain I caused you, I promise.

Right now, Maddy felt Rhydian caressing her hair while she pressed her lips to the soft fabric just over his scar, and she knew he felt the same bond. Like an unspoken conversation between souls, Maddy's and Rhydian's seemed to just know how to meld into one. And suddenly, despite everything, despite the chaos of the last few weeks, Maddy had new convictions.

I don't need to take shelter in a normal human life. I'm a wolfblood and I won't fear it—not with Rhydian at my side.

"I love you, Maddy Smith," Rhydian murmured. And the rest of it, well, it was all just minor detail as Rhydian nuzzled Maddy before resuming their kiss. Tom and Shan's Ooooh-ing rose to new heights, but the young couple ignored them—lost in a world of their own.

Chapter Text

Epilogue – Lessons from the Wolf

The mudflats along the Lindisfarne causeway stretched to infinity as Emma's sedan threaded the needle. Rhydian sat up front besides Emma while Maddy, Tom, and Shan sat in the backseat together. Rhydian gazed out the window as sun flashed on the water. The little pinnacle of Lindisfarne Castle poked above the fast-approaching horizon. The wolfblood boy wished he could have relished the view, but to be honest he was too busy feeling knots twisting in his gut.

"Rhydian, isn't it amazing? Aren't ya glad ya listened to me?" Maddy murmured in his ear from the backseat. She'd insisted that he sit up front for the best view even though he'd protested and wanted to offer her the best spot. It was part of a troubling pattern.

Maddy leaned forward, her lips almost touching his ear. "And don't forget, after you're done, Shan and Tom and I will be waiting for ya at the mead shop. We'll go wherever you like. Explore, whatever. You decide. I'll even give ya a back rub if ya want me to."

Maybe I should talk to Shan about it… It was nearly a month and a half since he and Maddy had made up, and nearly a full month since he and Maddy had agreed that Shan should be trusted with their secret. So Shan knew…about wolfbloods, just like Tom. Perhaps she could help him figure out what was going on with Maddy. Maybe. Rhydian suppressed a sigh.

Ever since they'd reconciled, after the fire…Maddy had been…different. Whenever she was around, she acted so devoted. She seemed to bend over backward to please him. It was nice, Rhydian guessed, except…it was so un-Maddy-like too—and that bothered him. It really did. Of course that wasn't what was making his insides twist into the shape of a pretzel just now. The real reason they were here made Rhydian's heart race. As well it should…Gerwyn. Dad. Natasha had put him under house arrest on the Isle of Lindisfarne these last many weeks while she finished up her investigation. Only now had Rhydian finally been given permission to see him. Rhydian still didn't know how to feel about it. Maddy's words echoed in his head, though, stubborn as ever.

Rhydian—he's your dad! You've only got one. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for…do it for your wolf. Whatever your dad's faults and shortcomings, if he wants to be a part of your life, at least give yourself, I don't know…the satisfaction of knowing you tried. Of not wondering ever after, 'What if?' Please, Rhydian. You know your wolf feels the pull of wanting to see its kin again. Listen to it.

Maddy's passionate tone had won him over as much as her words. He had trouble saying no to his girlfriend, and this was the one thing she'd challenged him on since they'd gotten back together.

Rhydian played along now, listening to Maddy's excited chatter, knowing what she was really doing. You don't have to do this, Mads—distract me from how nervous I feel.

Finally Emma pulled into the car park to drop them off. She called out after them as the four teens walked towards the main road leading into the village.

"Don't forget, be back at the car park by 6pm. I don't want to receive any angry calls from your parents," she added, throwing Shan and Tom a pointed look.

Then she was gone, and the four teens walked side by side. It was just after 10 o'clock. The village was quiet. Only the occasional gust of wind and the cry of seabirds accompanied them as they walked. The sea spray filled their noses. Rhydian sucked in the heady aroma. It cleared his head. For the time being he even forgot to be nervous as Maddy's hand slipped into his, her soft fingers entwining with his as his heart skipped a beat, now for an entirely different reason.

God, he loved this girl…but right now the wolfblood girl was driving him crazy too.

He looked over at her as the two of them lagged behind. He wanted to kiss her right now. Instead he opened his big mouth and said something before his brain could ask his mouth, What the bloody hell were ya thinking?

"Mads, I can't decide which is my favorite part of your face, your nose or your eyes."

Maddy's face flushed as she looked at him. "Umm…what?"

"I mean, y-you're cute," Rhydian stammered, "but I'm trying to pinpoint where the cuteness has the greatest concentration," he said—and realized too late that he was only making things worse! God help me.

Maddy giggled. "You know what? You're not at all normal, Rhydian Morris. Not a bit." She stood on her tiptoes, teasing him with a kiss before pulling away. She then tugged him along so they could catch up to Tom and Shan. Her easygoing reaction put him at ease though, so Rhydian just went with it.

"Well, I've made a decision. The verdict's out."

"And?" Maddy said, one eyebrow arched expectantly.

Rhydian's blue eyes sparkled like sunlight on the waves. "It's close, but I think I like your nose the best. It has this cute elegance…I don't know. Does that sound weird?"

Maddy rolled her eyes. "Weird, no. Stupid? Very." She punched him in the shoulder. He flinched.

"What was that for?" he cried.

"You should have said you liked my eyes best. It would have been more romantic," she said with a scowl. But Rhydian took her feistiness in stride, putting an arm around her as they walked together. He kissed the top of her head, loving how the delicate strands of her silky hair smelled like watermelon.

"I’m lucky you put up with me," he muttered.

"Yeah. You are," she huffed, but the way she leaned against his side rather than pulling away said it all.

A little while later they came to the public toilet beside one of the smaller car parks used for tourist buses. Maddy and Tom both had to use the loo. Before Maddy pulled away, her eyes softened with concern.

"Rhydian, if I…I hope you don't feel like I forced you into this. Because if you—if you don't want to see your dad, we can go back. I can call Mum and have her come right back. I—"

"Maddy, it's fine. I’m fine."

"Fine never just means 'fine,'" Maddy scolded. "Usually the opposite."

Rhydian heaved a sigh of exasperation. "Well, this time I'm 'fine' fine, as in the real meaning of the word, all right? Just…go to the toilet. I told you I'm all right. Leave it, okay?"

Looking hurt but clamping her mouth shut, Maddy slipped away.

Rhydian sighed again. He folded his arms together and stamped at the ground. Suddenly he felt a pair of eyes on him. Shannon Kelly had crept up like a ninja.

"Is something wrong, Rhydian?"

"Wrong?" Rhydian tried for a smile. Succeeded—almost. "I'm nervous about sitting down with my dad for the first time."

Shan's keen eyes behind her glasses narrowed like a scientist spotting the key numbers in a data set. "No, Rhydian. It's something else. Something with you and Maddy…" Shan shrugged, pretending she didn't care, when she totally did.

The blue-eyed wolfblood gave up. "Let's say you might be right." The boy licked his lips. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Rhydian. Anything."

"Have you noticed Mads acting weird? She's been…different lately."

Shan frowned. "Different how?"

Rhydian looked up at the sky with another sigh. "Well…I mean she fawns over me sometimes. Whenever we go out just the two of us, she insists I pick what we do, where we go. When we watch a movie just hanging out, she insists that I pick the film. It's like…she's trying to please me too much. It's just, it's not that I hate it…but I miss the old Mads sometimes. The one I saw a glimpse of just now as we walked here from the car park. The one who gives me trouble and stands up for herself. It's just…it's like she's been almost obsessively devoted and all I want Mads to be is Mads!" Rhydian didn't know how else to say it. That came out so confusing, there's no way Shan will have a clue what I'm talking about.

But to the wolfblood boy's surprise, Shan got very still. Very quiet. She looked away, towards the distant shore.

"I think I know exactly what you mean."

"You do?" Rhydian tried to lean over to put himself in Shan's field of vision as she looked away. Finally she turned to him.

"It's about the fire."

Rhydian frowned. They'd told Shan all about Kincaid and the fire at Maddy's house.

"I'm not following, Shan."

The ginger-haired girl walked briskly out of the car park, Rhydian keeping up with her stride for stride.

"Where are we going?"

"Not far. I just wanted to have time to get this out, because I think it's important." Shan stopped abruptly in a little alleyway between two houses. "Look…Rhydian, here's the thing. Maddy still feels responsible for almost getting you killed. For the fire. She thinks that if she'd told her parents sooner about Gerwyn, none of it would have happened. Every time she sees that scar on your shoulder, she's reminded of what she failed to do. Of not doing the right thing. That guilt has been eating at her…it's just, quite frankly, been weighing on her mind. She's mentioned to me a few times, 'Shan, that scar on Rhydian's shoulder, it's all because of me.' I think this fawning-over-you bit is her way of trying to make it up to you."

Rhydian gaped at Shan. He didn't have the foggiest idea what to say.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

Rhydian scratched his head. "I had no idea Maddy still felt so strongly about what happened. She shouldn't be taking this all on her shoulders, Shan. It's ridiculous!" Rhydian put his head in his hands.

"What am I going to do?"

When he finally pulled his hands away and looked at Shan, he was shocked to see her so calm.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" he repeated.

Shan smiled sadly. "The one thing she needs is the one thing you can't do anything about."

"And what's that?"

"Time."

Shan patted Rhydian's shoulder. "Maddy is still an alpha wolfblood female. Believe me, the assertive, independent Mads you're missing right now—she's going to come back. And that's a fact. She just needs time, Rhydian. That flash of the 'old' Maddy you saw just now on the walk from the car park? You'll see her again. Trust me. Just be patient. You two will get there. Don't worry too much." Shan shrugged. "I just wanted you to know the truth, so you wouldn't keep worrying about her. OK?"

Rhydian's lips slowly curved upward. He bopped Shan on the arm. "Shannon…thanks. For being honest and…"

"What?"

Rhydian smirked. "And for sharing Maddy's secret with me. That couldn't have been easy. I'm sure she told you not to tell me. Am I right?"

Shan looked away. "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."

"That means yes," Rhydian said triumphantly. Suddenly a slender figure leapt onto Rhydian's back as he felt arms squeezing him from behind. Maddy's scent enveloped him as she kissed the side of his neck.

"Why didn't ya wait for us?" Maddy demanded. "What's the idea, walking off and hiding?" Tom was rushing down the alleyway towards them now too.

Rhydian unlatched Maddy's arms from around his torso and abruptly picked her up. Swinging her in an arc, he had her giggling as the angle of sunlight made her squeeze her eyes shut.

"Rhydian, put me down!"

Gently, he did. "What was that for?"

He stroked Maddy's cheek. "No reason, except this; I love you, Maddy, and I want you to know something. I have no regrets. Neither should you. OK?"

Maddy nodded, suddenly looking a tad nervous, but then her eyes softened and Rhydian thought to himself, I'll make her let go of her guilt if it's the last thing I do. When he held out his hand, she took it.

It wasn't long, soon they were walking by cozy cottages with gargoyles perched on window sills, with Rhydian feeling like things with Maddy were finally on the mend…until they rounded the corner. Until Rhydian felt his heart sink as they neared the house. Gerwyn's house. His 'prison.' Shan, Tom, and Maddy all froze as the front door opened. A man stepped out. A dark felt hat was perched on his head. His eyes were filled with sadness tempered with hope. He rubbed at the stubble along his cheek and came up to Rhydian with slow, cautious steps.

"Rhydian…would you like to come inside?"

The three faithful friends behind Rhydian all held their breath, especially Maddy. Rhydian found himself feeling a swirl of emotions which made him dizzy. Excitement. Hope. Anger. Resentment. Fear. All mixed together like a smoothie concocted with too many flavors. The wolfblood boy gave his father a guarded look.

As Rhydian stepped towards his father, Gerwyn put out his hand. Rhydian hesitated, he glanced again at the sadness and the yearning and the regret all pooled together behind Gerwyn's eyes, which right now seemed ten years older than the rest of his body.

For so long I've wondered, what does he look like? And now I know, up close. This is my dad. Whatever mistakes he's made in the past, he was willing to sacrifice himself for me. He turned himself in for me. That has to mean something. It has to. Rhydian suddenly felt the tears flowing freely down his face. And instead of taking the hand Gerwyn offered, he did the one thing he didn't think he would have the strength to do.

He put his arms around his father. Rhydian squeezed Gerwyn as if he was the last wolfblood on earth. He thought about his broken family, about his mum, bitter and alone. He thought of all that resentment built up inside him over the years, and then, most of all, he thought of the most tantalizing possibility—letting all that resentment go, like a waterfall cascading off a mountain.

Then, as Gerwyn's chest shook with sobs of his own, as he wrapped up his son in a hug every bit as tender, as fierce, Rhydian said the one word that sounded totally foreign to him—as if it came from a dream.

"Dad."

A/N - Hey wolfblood brothers and sisters. There you have it—Lindisfarne Disaster is complete! YAY. I had the most trouble writing this Epilogue because it's always hard to end a story. Beginning a story is usually the easy part, but ending it…it's like trying to find the perfect bow to put on a present you took so much time to wrap. I just wanted to make sure I did it justice.

I know I left a few questions unanswered. If I have time to do a sequel for this story, I'll reveal more about Natasha and the serums. This just seemed like the perfect place to end the story, so I hope you forgive me :)

If you'd like, please comment. Tell me what you thought of the ending, what you liked, what unanswered things you wished had been answered. I try to keep giving you guys the quality stories you deserve. You all have been so good to me with your comments, so again - thank you from the bottom of my heart.

What's next? The sequel to Wolf Bond is the next major project I'm looking forward to. No more delays, no more excuses lol. I'll take a short break, but I'm sure I'll be revisiting the world of wolfblood soon. Until next time, friends… :) :)