Chapter one – The Reunion

As the pack ran carrying as much as they could with them, they could hear the gunshots in the background, they knew their time was up, Segolia was coming after them and there was nothing they could do but run and try to make camp elsewhere. They knew this day was coming, Segolia had been leaving them notes for months trying to force them to become tame, trying to wipe out their heritage, this pack was one of the last wild Wolfblood packs in Great Britain and they were not about to go down to Segolia, even if they had to move each and every night to avoid them, they would not give in to their demands, they would not betray their heritage and their culture. They would not become tame.

Once the pack had finally stopped running they set up camp, gathering trees to hold their cow hide to make a tent, and bringing in all their belongings, they waited anxiously for the arrival of their alpha. The two pairs of beta mates had led them here whilst their alpha had tried to lead Segolia astray and they waited nervously for his return for they knew one day, he might not come home. But today was not that day and true to form, Alric returned with the gun that they were almost hunted down with.

"We have to stop this madness!" Alric said as he stood on a log to address his pack, "we will never give in to Segolia, but we need to stop running, just look at what it is doing to the cubs" and sure enough, beneath his feet, the two cubs were asleep, the pack had barely been in camp for ten minutes and they had already fallen asleep, they would not be able to keep up with the pack should Segolia come for them now. Jack followed his leader into his tent, he had a plan, but was unsure it would work, "Jack, you have to give it a go, we have to try something." And with those words, Jack ran out of camp and headed towards the nearest human village.

Jack had been back with the wild pack for nearly six months now, and he hadn't once strayed into human territory, the sounds and the smells overwhelmed him for a moment, but he remembered the training that he had received and headed for the nearest telephone booth, he slotted in the coins he had been saving and dialled the number and out came a voice he hadn't heard for half a year;

"Hello? Who is this?" Jack paused and smiled for a moment before realising if he didn't speak soon, the other person would put the phone down. "Frank," he said, "It's me, it's Jack"

"Jack! How nice to speak to you again," His old mission controller said, but there was no time for formalities,

"Frank, listen, we don't have much time, we need your help, we're being hunted, help us stop Segolia. Please Frank." Jack said fast, the time was running out on the phone, Frank was confused, he had so many questions, but Jack wasn't giving him time to ask them, "Get the team to meet me at Bernie's at nightfall, bring your camping gear." He said and with that he put the phone down and ran back through the woods towards the camp.

"Jack?" Meinir asked him, but Jack pushed straight past his mate and went towards his leader, "I have to go and get them, I'll be back tomorrow." He said, Meinir had followed him into the tent, "you're leaving again?" she asked him sadly, Jack shook his head,

"I'm bringing my friends, my human friends; they're going to help us stop Segolia." He said, Meinir wasn't as convinced as their alpha, "Are you sure."

"They have never failed yet." Jack replied proudly, "here." He said giving her the collar that Oscar had given him to wear during their last mission, "Keep this safe for me, keep it with you." Meinir looked confused, Alric walked out of the tent to tell the pack of the human's imminent arrival, "As long as you have this with you, I will always know where you are." Meinir smiled, she may seem ruthless and brash on the outside, but once you got to know her as well as Jack did, she was the complete opposite. "I'm your mate," she said proudly, "you'll be able to find me anyways." Jack smiled, kissed her and bowed to her before running off towards Stoneybridge.

Meanwhile at St Hopes, Frank had summoned the agents to HQ,

"Agents we have a mission," he said, the agents looked excited, they hadn't had a proper mission for a while, because SKUL were laying low, they knew one day there would be a big one when SKUL finally made a move, but today was not that day. Frank could have easily told them the full plan, but he didn't he just said to meet at Bernie's at six and to bring camping gear, the agents seemed downhearted, they knew that bringing camping gear meant that they were training and that it wasn't a real mission.

And so, at six that evening the agents met at Bernie's waiting for instructions, they were badgering Frank for information, but he didn't know anything else, Jack had just told him when and where to meet. Suddenly, the agents could see someone coming towards them in the distance, "Is that Jack?" Rose asked, "It can't be, he left us, why would he come training with us?" Carrie retorted, she had tried to wipe Jack out of her life after their last encounter, but it was Jack.

"Hey." He said as he stopped just before crashing into Frank, "We have to go, quickly." He said running away, but Frank clicked the keys to the minivan, and Jack turned around, and hurried the agents onto the bus. He didn't say anything other than directions as they drove, and they were driving for nearly four hours, when Jack told them to stop.

"But I don't see anything, just trees" Rose pointed out, Jack smiled at her, "We go on foot the rest of the way, follow me." Everyone but Carrie followed him, but she just stood still, "Carrie we have to go." Jack said urgently, "Not until you tell me what is going on." She said firmly. Jack went over to her,

"Fine." He huffed, "Our pack is being hunted by Segolia and you are the only people that I know can help me, I know Segolia will come looking for us tonight and if you are there they will not attack us, that gives us more time to work out what we can do." Carrie smiled, "But why us, you could have got Maddy, Rhydian, anyone."

"You're human!" Jack shouted, "And you are the only people I trust, and you've never failed a mission before." He said as he walked away into the forest, Carrie reluctantly following him. After nearly two hours of walking through dense forest in silence, they got back to camp, the cubs greeting them at the entrance.

"This is cool." Oscar remarked, Jack nodded, Meinir was next to approach them, Jack hugged her as she dropped freshly hunted meat at his feet, "For the humans." Jack laughed and took the meat and gave it to Frank who promptly dropped it as he thought it was cooked. The first few hours were met with intense silence, the Wolfblood's not knowing how to act around humans and the humans not knowing how to act around wild Wolfblood's, but all that changed when Jana and Aran returned.

"No sign of them dad, if they're coming tonight, they'll come through the river and oh my gosh what are you doing here?!" she said excitedly as she ran over to Rose, Carrie, Oscar and Frank. Suddenly it was like old times and the agents were talking to Jana all about St Hopes and Maddy and Rhydian, the mention of Rhydian's name was enough to draw in Ceri and Gerwent, Rhydian's parents. Jack, Meinir, Aran and Alric sat watching them, "Is this what humans do? Talk about people?" Alric asked Jack nodded, "technically it's called gossiping." He replied. Meinir lay down between Jacks legs as he tore at the meat that the agents didn't want, turns out they brought their own food, Jack noticed Carrie was purposely avoiding his gaze, but Frank came over and sat down next to him on the floor, Meinir sat up and took the meat from Jack, and gave it to Frank, who looked scared of the wild looking girl and so took the piece and ate it. Jack laughed and Frank smiled, before talking to him, "You have to talk to her Jack," Jack nodded, and got up and walked over to Carrie. "Come with me." He said as he led them away from the camp.

Carrie felt awkward being away from the rest of the team; she didn't know how Jack would be after their last meeting, after she told him that she loved him.

"I don't want things to be awkward between us, we have to work together to stop Segolia." He said, Carrie laughed, "It's already awkward, with her sitting there." Jack knew that she was referring to Meinir, Jack could smell Alric and Aran some paces behind them, but he didn't let on that he could smell them, but either way, what he was about to say was truthful "Meinir is my mate, she is my past, my present and my future, as are my pack, I told you our worlds were different, and now you have seen that for yourself, please Carrie, help us." Carrie stared at the floor for a while before nodding, after that, the pair seemed to be getting on like before, talking about St Hopes.