Rhydians POV

This is ridiculous... I shouldn't be happy, not when Alric was hunting us, racing through the forest as we crashed along the river. I shouldn't be laughing - but I am. With Maddy, my best friend, sprinting at my side, her golden eyes sparkling with excitement and her small hand in mine, how could I not? I howl with laughter as the adrenaline courses through me, the icy water leeching through my sodden shoes. It's uncontrollable, instinctive.

But I shouldn't have made a sound.

Maddy and I come crashing to the shore, my hands reaching out to catch her just in time. For a brief second she leans above me, her brown hair brushing my cheek. In the next, I have time only to register the look of utter panic on her face as she is snatched away.

"Maddy!" I cry, throwing myself to my feet. My head whips round frantically, searching, and for a horrifying moment I can't find her.

But Alric has.

He must have heard me - and now, he has her trapped; one arm locked round her throat, the other chained round her arms. Sneering triumphantly, he growls at me. A warning. If I come any closer, he'll kill her.

Maddy's eyes shine with fear, honey in the morning light - but she's too terrified to fully transform.

"Because of you, tame, I lost everything! Now it's your turn!" Alric snarls at me. His hands shake with fury, but their dark claws trace lightly across Maddy's neck. The message is clear; Alric is determined I will lose her.

Not likely.

"It's me you want," I spit, hoping my voice sounds stronger than I feel, "just let her go, and I'm all yours."

"No," Alric's voice is deadly calm, "that is much too easy. It will destroy you inside to lose her. You will feel what I felt when you drove my daughter from me!"

My blood boiled at his threats, and I felt a surge of strength. Deep growls racked my whole body, and the rushing in my ears was almost enough to drown out the world around me.

But I still heard Maddy gasp as Alric raked his fingers across her throat, drawing three jagged lines of crimson red across her chalk-white skin. Alric releases her and she falls to the ground, unconscious.

"Maddy!" I cry out, my voice trembling with panic. Within a second my anger fades away, and a tide of fear and worry washes over me. I sprint forwards and collapse at her side, relieved to see her chest rise quickly with ragged breaths. Tearing my eyes away reluctantly, I'm shocked to see Alric staring, wide eyed and speechless, at her in... Surprise? Horror?

Regret, pure and painful. I turn back to Maddy, frowning in confusion. Then I notice that her mouth is set in a grim line of determination, her brow furrowed, and I understand. With her tangle of long hair, delicate frame and ashen face, Maddy looks like...

"Jana." breaths Alric, his face contorted with pain. He turns his face to the sky, muttering urgently under his breath but otherwise frozen in place. Taking advantage of his distraction, I lift Maddy gently onto my back and tear off into the woods, following the river. When we come to a small clearing not far from her home, I stop and lay her softly on the Earthy forest floor.

"Maddy," I whisper, brushing a lock of hair from her face, "Maddy, wake up! Please, wake up! You're safe now, we're ok. Just wake up!"

But she doesn't stir, and I have to fight back a sob. I have no idea what to do - even my months of living with the wild pack taught me nothing about healing, let alone first aid. Deciding the first step would be to clean the wounds, I reach into the river and cup some water in my hands. I let it trickle slowly onto the cuts, watching small streams of blood and debris wash away. Whilst each is fairly deep, the cuts have begun to close. I hastily scan the forest floor for any medicinal plants I may recognise, but come up blank.

Luckily, Maddy's eyes are fluttering open.

"Maddy!" I gasp, beaming as I reach down and throw my arms around her.

"Rhydian? What...?" her voice is tinged with a mixture of confusion and surprise that brings me back to my senses. Right.

"Sorry," I mumble, my grin fading, "are you ok?"

"I don't... Where's Alric?"

It takes a while before I've reassured her that he's gone, but I can tell when she relaxes against me that it's sunk in. Instinctively, my arm goes round her. Only now that I can feel her safe beside me does my heart finally begin to slow to its normal rate, and I realise with a shock just how close I came to watching her die. It brings back memories from the orienteering trip, when I thought she would be buried under the ruins of Williams den with Liam, and I would never see her again. Even the crushing guilt I felt when she ran away after I taught her about eolas, passing out and being mugged, has resurfaced. How many times have I nearly lost her? Too many. None of us could cope without her.

Maddy's starting to feel as necessary as breathing.

"Rhydian?" her unusually quiet voice wrenches me back from my thoughts.

"Yes Mads?" I reply.

"What Alric said... About you losing everything, if he... If I..."

"Go on." My voice was sharp, and I cringed as I heard the edge to my words.

"It's just... Nothing." she sighed, curling up with her head in my lap. When I hear the low rumbling coming from her throat, my mind jumps to transformation - but she's only snoring.

Note to self; Maddy snores. Be sure to tease soon.

As the day goes on, I try to distract myself from her; I wonder what has happened to Alric, where Jana and Bryn are, even what Tom and Shan will think about our absence. It doesn't work.

When I returned to Stoanybridge, it was a while before I really let myself be there again. I tried to occupy myself with teaching Jana, learning from her, even school - but now, I have to face something.

I might be in love with my best friend, Maddy Smith.

Coming back was like... Like coming up for air after swimming underwater in tropical lake. There is so much to see, so many vibrant, busy, distracting things that you try and ignore the pull inside, the burning in your chest. Eventually, though, you can't. The pain must be felt, you have to return or you might collapse. Then, you resurface and everything is ten times better then you let yourself dream; like Maddy saying she only cared about me, taking my hand when I had no rock, risking the world to defend me against my own mistakes.

I've tried to ignore it, but I can't deny it much longer. Every time she takes my hand, whenever she's in trouble, or looking out for her pack, I feel it.

Jeez, Rhydian. Pull it together.

Suddenly, my phone rings and I nearly jump out of my skin. It's Maddy's mum.

"Hi, Mrs Smith."

"Rhydian. Is Maddy there?"

"Yes - but she's asleep."

"Oh, ok. Has something happened?"

Where to begin?

"Because Mr Jeffries rung to say that neither of you have been in school all day, and when Daniel searched earlier he swears he saw..." she adds, persistent in my silence.

"Let me bring Maddy home," I say, "I'll explain everything then."

"Meet me at the house in five minutes - and please, look after my cub."

The line goes dead, but I make a promise to the evening sky; "I will."

But then Maddy screams.