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.
A/N - Hey wolfblood sisters and brothers. I hope you liked this chapter, I tried to make it a longer one. Which wolfbloods will Maddy run into next? Will Tom get into serious trouble? Where's Jana, Rhydian, and Matei as all of this is happening? These will be answered in the next chapter. Please review/comment, give me a shout or a PM if you want with any suggestions. Oh, and Happy Halloween :)