Wolfblood
Trouble in Paradise 2
By popular demand, here is the sequel to Trouble in Paradise. Shoutout to cristalzavala for giving me the idea to write a sequel to the story about moving in and the wedding. It really inspired me to write more.
Maddy's heart had been pounding for weeks. Even now, she still couldn't quite believe that Rhydian Morris had proposed to her. Everyone had marvelled over her wedding ring as soon as she'd shown them. Katrina had burned with envy and started shouting about how Rhydian should have been hers, but Maddy had quickly shut her up by pointing out that he was a thirty three year old man and not a thing to be owned by someone. She didn't have time to dwell on that then however, as the fast approaching wedding took up every thought in everyone's head. Segolia had arranged a Wolfblood priest as soon as the intention to marry became official. The wedding wasn't going to be held in a church, because neither of them was religious, but at the same time, they knew that no one did a wedding service quite like a priest. Maddy and Rhydian planned to move into the house after they were married. They literally decided to move their stuff into the room they chose before the wedding, go there straight there after and start living there. For now, the happy couple weren't supposed to meet so close to the wedding. The distance was killing Maddy. Emma had said it was only natural. When she was marrying Dan, she felt as though she was going insane being kept apart from him. The only thing that stopped her from tearing her hair out was her mother saying that Dan wouldn't want her if she was bald. Maddy was sitting at the kitchen table and feeling like she was about to explode, when Tom walked in. Rhydian was having Tom as his best man, and Maddy was having Shannon for a bridesmaid. The rolls were reversed when Tom and Shannon got married, so it only made sense.
"Hi, Tom." Emma said, walking into the kitchen just as he sat down. "How's your speech going, pet?"
"I can speak fine, Emma. It's my reading and writing that's utter crap." Tom's face was genuine when he said this, and a look of concern crossed Emma and Maddy's faces.
"She means your best man's speech for the wedding." Maddy elaborated. Tom's face didn't change.
"The best man's speech is supposed to be the highlight of the reception." Emma explained with a dumbfounded look on her face. "You're married yourself, Tom. How did you not know you had to make a speech? Don't you remember Rhydian making one at your wedding?"
"I always wondered why he did that." Tom muttered. Maddy and Emma groaned in exasperation.
"Tom, there's only five days left until the wedding!" Maddy was looking furious now.
"Why couldn't I just make something up on the day?"
"Oh hell no!" Emma cut in. She didn't usually speak in such an upfront manner, so Maddy knew this had touched a nerve. "Dan's best man was called Alun Raglan. He did that, and loads of random crap came out of his mouth. You are going to write a speech before the wedding and run it past us first." Tom processed this for a second, and then nodded in agreement.
"I'll see you later then." Tom got up and left in a hurry. He'd mostly disassociated himself from his family after the wedding. He was just sick of his mother and father competing for his love and attention, so he'd cut himself off from them. It always left him with a pain in his heart whenever he was in the middle of a family situation, but he was slowly adjusting.
"God, I hope he doesn't make a mess of this." Emma groaned. "I'd die if Rhydian's best man's speech was a repeat of Dan's. That man ruined the reception. He may not have meant it, but it just butchered the romance of the whole affair."
"I hope he doesn't make a mess of it either." Maddy muttered. "If he does, I'll be butchering him."
Line Break!
Rhydian sat on his bed, gazing out of the window. It was directly facing the Smiths' house and it almost felt like an invisible rope was pulling him towards them. Meanwhile, Mrs Vaughn, Ollie and Joe all sat downstairs at the table, going through the replies to the wedding invitations.
"Jack the pogo wants to come as well." Mrs Vaughn said, setting the card to the 'yes' pile. "We'd better make sure some sort of aid is available for crossing that much open ground. He has only one leg."
"Why did they choose to get married on the field near the edge of the moors anyway?" Joe asked. "I would have thought they'd want to have it somewhere semi-sheltered in case the weather turns British."
"There will be mini shelters erected off to the sides just in case of that." Ollie said. I thought of that myself and I've run it past the pair of them. Oh, and Aunty Jenny's coming as well. She's an alcoholic, so we'll definitely need that aid for covering the distance. I'm thinking maybe a fleet of wheelchairs?"
"Uncle Will rang wanting to know what 'morning wear' was." Mrs Vaughn laughed. "I told him just to come in that fancy set of pyjamas we got him for his last birthday."
"Rhydian would probably say even that was too fancy." Ollie giggled. That set off a round of laughter from the table.
"I know Rhydian isn't one to make a big thing of himself, but he definitely knows how to treat Maddy well." Mrs Vaughn said, and Ollie and Joe nodded in unison. They all knew it was true enough. All that mattered in Rhydian's world was Maddy, and everyone had learned the hard way not to get between them. Mrs Vaughn knew how slow she and Maddy were to get used to each other, but she knew now that Maddy wasn't just another girl you walk past every day on the street. She was Rhydian's whole world and she'd done a better job of teaching him the meaning of having a family than she ever could. Though everyone knew how much he was hating the run up to the wedding. Maddy's family had a tradition that the bride and groom shouldn't see each other for the final week before the wedding. Apparently, it was so that they would miss each other for a week, and that would strengthen the bond between them. Emma had said to Mrs Vaughn that since they started that tradition three hundred years ago, not one single marriage in their family ever had a problem. Mrs Vaughn hadn't been able to deny a tradition that old. Rhydian hadn't been happy either, but they both knew he wanted this marriage to have every chance. The last time they'd seen each other, Rhydian and Maddy had opened half their wedding presents. They'd decided to open half before the day and half after, with Emma and Mrs Vaughn taking notes on which gift was from who so that they knew who to send thank you cards to. The funniest gift had been from Jana and Ceri. It was a full silver cutlery set with each piece inscribed with 'In the event of divorce, please return to Jana and Ceri-no reward.' Tom had bought a massive Manchester United scarf for them that easily went round them both, and then enlisted Shannon's help to stitch a massive white strip of velvet over each side that was carefully embroidered with the words 'Just Married.' He'd also won twenty quid off Shannon, because she'd bet him that he couldn't turn football related merchandise into a wedding gift that was anywhere near acceptable. But he'd clearly put a lot of thought and work into it. Shannon had given them a book about wolves through the seasons (which had a worryingly long chapter on heat season) and a pillow which said 'The time of freedom is over. You're now married.' There were many more, but those particular presents were their decided favourites so far.
"So how many guests from our side is that in total?" Ollie asked, snapping Mrs Vaughn back to the conversation. Mentally, she ran over the calculations.
"Are you bringing a girl to the wedding, Ollie?" she asked.
"I was thinking of knocking Joe out, stuffing him in the wardrobe and stealing his girlfriend." Ollie said. "I guess if that doesn't work, I'll have to go alone."
"So that's you on your own, Joe and his girlfriend-"
"Ellie's not coming. She has to work. She still needs to keep working overtime to pay off the legal fees from that crappy lawyer who couldn't even put her ex in jail." Joe explained.
"She can surely get off one day for a wedding." Mrs Vaughn said, puzzled.
"She can't come, end of discussion."
"So that's Joe dumped. I'll put it down as thirty-six." Mrs Vaughn concluded. "I'll ring Emma tonight."
"In that case, I'll go up and let Rhydian know we've got everything finalised." Joe said. He left the table, grabbing one of the veggie burgers that Mrs Vaughn had made for supper and trooped up the stairs to find Rhydian sitting on the bed, looking out the window. "You really miss her already, don't you?"
"I can't wait to get married and finally move in with her like we dreamed of." Rhydian said, not even looking up when Joe sat next to him. "I don't give a crap what we do after that, provided we do it together."
"Amen to that." Joe said.
Line Break!
Emma and Maddy were sitting in a pub on the edge of Stoneybridge, discussing weddings as they had nearly every day since Maddy revealed she was getting married. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't know he was there until he walked over and made them jump.
"What about this for a speech?" he asked, causing Emma and Maddy to leap a mile in the air. Their eyes flashed for a second before they realised who it was.
"You were so close to death right then." Maddy warned him
"Is that your speech?" Emma asked.
"It's the prototype stage." Tom said. "If you like it, I'll write it up in neat."
"Okay, let's hear it." Emma muttered. Tom straightened the sheet out and began reading.
"Ladies and gentlemen: that time Rhydian got arrested for selling those Sinclair clothes…"
"Rub that out this instant!" Emma said a bit too loudly, causing every drunken person in the bar to look round inquisitively. "Rhydian never got arrested for anything."
"Yes he did." Tom said, causing Emma and Maddy's eyes to flash again. The alcohol really wasn't doing much for their temper. "Of course he didn't; how stupid of me." Tom muttered as he crossed it out. Emma and Maddy both gave approving nods. "What about this bit then? Rhydian and I met in Bradlington High School…"
"That's a nice opening." Maddy said.
"…He was a bit antisocial back then too." Emma grabbed the sheet and tore it in half.
"What did Rhydian think of this effort?" Emma asked furiously.
"I don't want to show him before the wedding." Tom said. "I wanted to make him laugh on the day. I was trying to make it funny, but I suppose that fell flat on its face."
"I suppose it did." Emma was quite angry about this. "If you're really desperate, there are websites online on writing a best man's speech. I suggest you go home and take at least a couple of days to write something that sounds like it's from the heart." She actually looked ready to punch Tom for the bad attempt, but she just couldn't quite stand up straight enough.
"I think someone needs to go home." Maddy said as she stood up to support Emma. "You are going to re-write that speech, Tom. And you're not going to mention anything in our history that's even slightly controversial. Now help me get Mum through the door.
Line Break!
Emma fell into a kitchen chair the next morning with a splitting headache.
"Look at the head on you. You had some amount of alcohol last night." Dan said.
"Maddy didn't have much less than I did." Emma defended herself.
"At least I could walk." Maddy pointed out, nursing the bruise on her forehead. She was dragging Emma home in the darkness, only to fall down a massive hole dug by Southern Water to fix a pipe. Emma miraculously avoided falling down the hole somehow, but then fell in as Maddy was getting out. Now they both had identical bruises on their heads. They knew it wouldn't be much of a problem on the big day. They had three days to heal and then they could cover whatever was left with foundation.
"Like mother, like daughter." Dan muttered as he brought them over two full English Breakfasts with extra bacon, sausages and black pudding. Maddy's parents were treating her like royalty this final week before her wedding, and she wasn't even pretending not to enjoy it. She felt like almost everything was perfect, but she was still in agony from being apart from Rhydian. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Dan opened it and Tom walked in.
"Even the officer who arrested him loves Rhydian." Tom read
"Get the hell out!" Maddy shouted. Tom left in a hurry and the ladies returned to their breakfasts.
"You really miss him already, don't you?" Emma asked.
"Not being able to see him is tearing me apart." Maddy said. "I can feel it's affecting him as well."
"It's perfectly natural." Emma said, spearing a piece of black pudding with her fork and scooping up some beans and tinned tomatoes at the same time. "You should be feeling borderline suicidal by the day before the wedding. When you see him at the end of that isle, you'll really have to hold yourself back from flinging yourself into his arms and snogging him to death before the person marrying you says that it's okay."
"I get why you want us to stay apart before the wedding, but what about Rhydian?" Maddy asked. "Mrs Vaughn doesn't understand how he feels. She'll be trying to make him eat veggie burgers and everything. He's probably starving by now. He can't keep running off to the Kafe. They charge twice the amount for burgers that Bernie's ever did."
"Maybe, but either way we'll have to make sure your make-up is waterproof on the day. If you're anywhere near as excited as I was, you'll be in tears before you even set foot on the carpet."
"I can't wait to see him again." Maddy said. "I can't wait for him to see me either. God only knows it'll be a weight off his mind."
"God only knows it'll be the best day of your lives." Emma assured her. Dan had long since left the room. This was another one of those female matters. Males wouldn't know anything about being a bride. "In a sense, Maddy, I envy you." Emma continued. "You have a house that you'll officially start living in literally after your wedding ceremony, and you can just have the night to yourselves. Your father and I would have killed for that. We had to live round my Mum's house while we were home-hunting. That was before this one was left to us. She said we were welcome for as long as we liked, but she'd put us in different bedrooms. He tried to sneak in multiple times, but the creaky floorboard and door gave him away. Why do you think he took up woodwork?"
"That's why he enjoys woodwork now?" Maddy couldn't stop laughing.
"Eventually, the old bat rigged up a snare in the hallway. As soon as he put one foot wrong, he was suspended by his ankle. If you'd have only seen the look on his face." Maddy laughed so hard that she couldn't breathe.
Line Break!
It was the day before the wedding when Tom returned to the Smith household. Maddy's excitement had turned to hysteria. The pull between her and Rhydian was growing by the second.
"Okay you two, I think I have it this time." Tom said.
"You look exhausted." Maddy commented getting up slowly to see if he was alright.
"I am, Maddy. I haven't slept since Emma tore my first speech up." Tom said; his voice barely more than a yawn.
"Well you'll want to sleep tonight." Emma told him briskly. "We need you fresh as bacon off the slicer tomorrow."
"Well, I think I have the speech right this time." Tom yawned again as Maddy started reading over his shoulder.
"Lovely. Put it on the table and I'll read it in a second." Emma muttered.
"Hang on, Mum." Maddy cut in. "Tom, sit down and read this aloud." Tom sat down and cleared his throat as Emma took a seat.
"Ladies and gentlemen…" Tom started, but then Maddy pointed to a spot further down the sheet.
"Read it from there." Tom looked at where Maddy was pointing and then back up at her.
"But you're skipping my joke about the condom, the fly and the bartender."
"We'll live." Maddy assured him.
"I hope the bartender does." Emma muttered as Tom continued reading.
"When Maddy, Shannon and I first met Rhydian, I can't remember exactly when we stopped being acquaintances and started being friends. I do remember though, that many years passed before I understood what it was that Maddy and Rhydian had between them. Even after I married Shannon, I didn't quite understand the bond that Rhydian and Maddy had. In fact it's only recently that I've come to understand. Someone, somewhere was looking down and thought: 'Those two idiots need guardian angles.' And so they sent them to each other." Maddy and Emma shared a look. "What do you want changing?" Tom asked
"I thought it was perfect." Emma said.
"I would be proud and honoured to have that read out tomorrow." Maddy said.
"Yes!" Tom shouted. Then he flopped forward from exhaustion. Gentle snoring could be heard drifting from his still body.
"Let's just stick him in the bath and then turn the shower on cold really early in the morning to wake him." Emma muttered.
"That sounds like some great pre-wedding entertainment." Maddy agreed.
Line Break!
Somehow, Tom had managed to dry off in time and changed into his best man's suit. He'd made it back with Shannon for the mini party before they headed to the event. Most of Maddy's family were crammed into the house. Ollie and Joe were taking Rhydian over to the area where the wedding was taking place, so they could all double-check everything was in order. Mrs Vaughn had gone round the Smiths' house to help them get sorted. She was organising the flowers with Emma when Tom walked in.
"Ladies and gentlemen…"
"We've heard it before. Get the hell out." Emma said. Just then, they were interrupted by Shannon walking gracefully down the stairs in a red ankle-length dress, her long hair flowing freely. She had contact lenses in, so that she didn't have to worry about her glasses for the day. She very rarely wore contacts, but they were excellent for weddings and such. Just about every boy in the room wolf whistled. (Pun more than fully intended.) Even Dan gave an approving nod.
"Not even the priest will be safe today!" someone commented.
"Sod off!" Shannon giggled. "Okay everyone, it's the big moment. Ladies and gentlemen, Maddy Smith!" On queue, Maddy stepped equally as elegantly down the stairs; her long white dress flowing behind her and her long brown hair trailing down her back like a string of pearls. The applause raised the roof. Maddy tried to look happy and grateful, but without Rhydian next to her the best she could manage was a pathetic grimace.
"You just want to see him, don't you?" Emma said. Maddy just nodded. "Come on then love, let's get down there and get this thing going." Everyone cheered as they trooped out to the cars, but Emma held Maddy back until everyone else had gone. "Maddy, love, I've not had the chance to tell you I'm proud of you ever since you met Rhydian. But this day, I couldn't be more proud if I tried." Tears sprung to Maddy's eyes and Emma became really grateful that the mascara was waterproof. "Let's go, cub. You need your alpha."
Line Break!
Maddy and Rhydian Morris sat at the table that was set up as centrepiece in the village hall. The wedding had gone brilliantly, apart from Emma's chair sinking into a soft patch of earth and her falling flat. Maddy and Rhydian had actually gone and picked her up together, before re-taking their place. They'd enjoyed it nonetheless. They were just glad to be back in each other's company. It had been one torturous week apart, but now they were literally together forever. Nothing in the world would separate them now. The real highlight had been when Dan ran down to the end of the field where the wedding car was waiting while blaming an overactive bladder, paid the driver to take it a few miles out and then back, then brought one of the bin vans round and paid them to let him stick a 'Just Married' banner on the side of it, so that when Maddy and Rhydian came back, they thought that was the car that had been arranged. Everyone except Maddy and Rhydian had a laugh at that. When the fiasco was sorted and the happy couple were driven to the wedding reception, Rhydian picked Maddy up bridal style and carried her inside. They'd then spent about half an hour as the guests came in kissing cheeks, shaking hands and being welcomed into the family. Now they sat at the table, having had the speeches read out. Most of the guests were nearly in tears over Tom's best man's speech. Maddy was enjoying the meal, but she could tell that Rhydian was enjoying her company, but wasn't enjoying being centre of attention. He didn't like having many pairs of eyes on him, or the occasional glances thrown their way, be they of admiration, pride or joy. If anything, it made him feel more alienated than the hateful glances he got from Jimi and those at Bradlington. It made him feel like he was on a pedestal that was so high he couldn't breathe. He literally felt like he was suffocating.
"Do you want to take a breather?" Maddy asked, tuning to him. He nodded and adjusted the collar of his shirt. Maddy took his hand and led him outside. Instantly, he gulped in the cool night air. The weather had been atypically perfect up until now, and this was no exception. Sweat dripped off Rhydian's forehead as he shrugged his blazer off. Maddy could see he'd been really close to panicking. She shivered involuntarily, and he draped the blazer across her shoulders, instantly warming her again.
"I love you, Maddy Morris." The cheeky smile on Rhydian's face got just the response he was looking for.
"God, that's going to take some getting used to." Maddy muttered as she looped her arms around him, letting her warmth transfer to him, making his skin burn in that way he loved. Rhydian knew the full moon was tomorrow, and so he could feel the energy charging through him. That was probably the reason he hadn't fallen asleep yet. As much as he wanted the reception to end, he knew the night was not yet over. He also knew that the best part of it was yet to come.
Line Break!
Rhydian was once again carrying Maddy bridal style. This time it was up the stairs to their new house. This was the house that was their safe haven. This was the end for them. They had finally found happiness. As soon as they'd both brushed their teeth, they trooped back to their bedroom, which already had a king-sized bed in it. Maddy shrugged off her wedding dress as Rhydian tried to un-button the suit. He tried to take the tie off, but nearly choked himself. In the end, Maddy had to help him before he suffocated.
"Thanks, Mads. I haven't worn a tie since Bradlington." Rhydian gasped. Maddy helped him get out of the suit, which put up a fight even for her, then led him to the bed. They climbed in together and kissed like the world was ending. It was a kiss that lit up every nerve in their bodies and literally made them even hungrier for contact. They literally felt like they were on fire. They'd been kept apart for a week and it was never happening again. Rhydian pulled Maddy closer to him in a secure embrace and kissed her again, pulling the covers tighter around them. They were now the happiest Wolfbloods alive. There was no longer any need to adjust to change, to run from danger or to have any doubts in the world. And there could be no doubt in the world that Maddy and Rhydian had been intended for each other since the dawn of time. Maddy and Rhydian knew many things, the primary one being that their lives were now perfect. Now that they were together, there could no longer be trouble in paradise.
Epilogue!
It was about two weeks later when Maddy and Rhydian showed up on Emma and Dan's doorstep again. Rhydian was once again carrying Maddy bridal style, thinking that under these circumstances it was better than her running. Maddy stayed in Rhydian's arms as she reached up to ring the doorbell. Emma answered the door and was delighted to see them. Rhydian finally put Maddy on her feet as they were invited inside. As they all sat around the table, Maddy leant her head on Rhydian's shoulder. Dan and Emma carried on with the washing up that they'd been doing before the two of them arrived. It was just then that Dan behaved like a typical male and flagged up the issue that the two of them were hoping he would.
"By the way Maddy, your wedding day's behind you now. Rhydian can't keep carrying you everywhere. No offense, but you've already got a bit of a bump on you." Rhydian looked ready to rip Dan's head off for effectively calling his own daughter fat, but Maddy just burst out laughing. The musical noise calmed him instantly. Little did Dan realise, that bump wasn't fat. Emma suddenly noticed as well and put down the plate she was holding, before walking over to the pair of them.
"Well I would start running again, Dad." Maddy said, rubbing the barely perceptible elevation in her stomach. "The only trouble is that pregnant women can't run very well." Dan suddenly looked over with a comic expression of surprise on his face. Suddenly, Emma had grabbed him and started jumping up and down with joy. It reminded Maddy of when the three Ks got the football tickets to see Anderson Taylor play when they were teenagers. A grin spread simultaneously over the faces of everyone in the room. The family was getting bigger.
I know that you were expecting me to do a thing on the actual wedding, but I wanted to keep this as short as possible while cramming in as much Maddian as possible. Don't worry though, because if this fanfic gets a good reception, then I can confirm that this will become a trilogy! I'm planning a detailed account of what happened in Maddy and Rhydian's and Tom and Shannon's weddings, but I just didn't have the time or the space to put it in this one and I really wanted to add in the epilogue. Hope you all enjoyed it.
