Carrie kicked at the rock wall with a frustrated sigh as her boss drummed his fingers on the table in irritation and deep thought. She had failed. She had no idea how- there should have been no way for them to survive. But trust luck to be on their side. Everyone had died except them two and four other humans.

Holly stared at her with wide scared eyes, "Why? Why would you do something like this Carrie? So many people...?"

"Collateral damage," the man replied, "Do you know how many people would have died if we didn't attack? True, Matei and Jana are still alive but they will not be a threat to us any more, they are under government control and all the governments of the world want them gone. Problem solved."

"I can't believe you'd be so heartless," Holly said venomously, "And as for you Carrie. TJ was your friend, Matei and Jana are his friends. I can't believe you'd hurt them like this."

"The wolf," Carrie said, "It does terrible things. It has to be stopped. Every single one of them has to be stopped."

Holly shook her head, "The book. Have you even read it? They are not the enemy."

"That's what they'd like you to think," the sandy-haired man began, "It's all propaganda of course. You remember how TJ attacked you, how Carrie's wolf nearly destroyed her- and killed Matei's parents. Now do you understand why we did it? We are at war, Holly. A war against the wolfbloods, and our soldiers are everywhere, in the governments, in the hospitals, in the courts of law. Until wolfbloods are eliminated we will not be safe."

"Kincaid's right," Carrie added, smiling at her boss, "He was the only one who could see sense. Holly, you have to trust us, what I did was horrific, but there was no other option. And now we have to finish what we started."

Holly shook her head, "I wish I'd never agreed to help you find Kincaid. If I'd known that there was no rehabilitation programme... But I'm going to stay here, try to knock some sense into the both of you."

Kincaid let out a menacing laugh, "I remember being naive too, before my foster brother's first transformation, thinking it was so cool that I had this super powerful family- I wasn't even jealous of them, because they made me feel like I belonged, my foster parents at least, if not my brother. Then my brother transformed and nearly killed me... And I knew the truth, wolfbloods were vicious monsters just waiting to explode and destroy everyone around them."

Carrie nodded exuberantly, "See. Kincaid's the only one who understands. All the other wolfbloods think there's something wrong with me, but now I don't feel so wrong, so alone. And I just want them to understand, that being a wolfblood is wrong and it will only hurt them."

"Exactly," Kincaid replied, "It's time to finish what I started."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

Emilia picked up the book from where it lay open on top of the table used for mixing herbs. She tried not to worry about her brother and his fiancée but seeing Matei's notebook just made their absence feel even harder to bare. Emilia was still being kept in the dark about what was going on in the outside world- all she knew was that her old pack had been forced to return instantly and Aran had gone with them.

All of the adults in the wild pack seemed to be on edge too and Alric had announced that they were moving camp. To a new territory right in the middle of the Scottish Highlands- and least a good two hundred miles from where they were now.

Emilia grimaced at the idea. It would take her old pack at least two days to reach them- one for driving and a good fourteen hours hiking up steep mountainsides. Katrina and the other humans probably wouldn't be able to make it. The elders had concerns that even some of their cubs would struggle with the journey.

Emilia jumped as Cadwr put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and gazed at the book that she was holding.

Emilia rolled her eyes, smiling, "I told you to stop doing that."

"And I told you you were distracted too often," Cadwr argued,

Emilia sighed, "I have a lot to think about. A lot of things that are more important than Hafren trying to hurt me."

Cadwr frowned, "They are your old pack, Emilia. Their lives are in the human world, you've decided that yours is here."

Emilia sighed again, feeling tears sting her eyes, "I'm just a cub, Cadwr. I can barely hold it together without my brother here. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can be the heir, because sometimes I wonder if being a wild wolf is even right for me."

Cadwr nodded understandingly, "I had the same thoughts too. When Kincaid kidnapped the pack, well we didn't get to see much of the human world, but he allowed me and my sister to go shopping with him once. I realised that I found the human world too interesting and I worried that maybe I was tame at heart and would have to leave my sister and the world I loved behind. But I knew that Gwyn would never abandon me, no matter where I lived, and that the wild was what was really in my heart. You have to figure out what's in your heart, Emilia, whether deep down you're tame or wild? Or perhaps a little of both, like Jana is."

Emilia smiled, "And what if it's a person, not a place, that's in my heart."

Cadwr gave her an apologetic smile, "Matei won't always be a few leagues away. He might move away from Newcastle some day, might even move country. And you don't have to follow him. Things will change, as you get older, you'll find that you two will grow apart a little, you already are in some ways, and I know it's hurting you to realise that. But I know you're strong enough to handle it."

Emilia nodded, not able to meet Cadwr's eyes, "I wasn't on about Matei. I meant... I meant you."

Cadwr blushed, "Emilia. I..."

Emilia shook her head in shock at her honesty, "I'm sorry. I've gone and made everything awkward now."

"Emilia," Cadwr began, "I won't be the one keeping you here if you're miserable in the wild. You shouldn't stay just for me."

Emilia shook her head, "No, it's not like that. My reasons for wanting to leave, they aren't real reasons, they're just me doubting myself but when I'm around you, talking to you... I don't have any doubts that I made the right decision, because I feel strong."

Cadwr smiled, "Good. And I feel the same, I know I made the right decision to stay here."

Emilia smiled tentatively, "You feel the same?"

Cadwr grinned, "Yes. I was waiting for you."

Emilia blushed bright red earning a laugh from Cadwr which she returned until they were both laughing loud.

Outside Hafren and Owen shared a look.

"Good grief," Hafren began, "She's sappier than her brother."

Owen nodded, "But they are only young. What do they know about being in love?"

Hafren nodded, "Not much at all. Not much at all."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

TJ tried to grab the map from Selina but there was no way she was going to let go of it. They were somewhere near Grenoble now, and had been driving through the night, half of the pack in Dr Whitewood's car and half in Imara's land-rover. There was only one Sat Nav between them and they'd been texting each other like mad to make sure they were on the right roads. Selina had been the one to insist on bringing a map, and of course, she was the only one of the cubs who could read it properly.

The blue signs ahead directed them towards Grenoble city centre and they drove fast towards the turn off.

TJ tried to call Jana's phone again. He knew it was pointless, he didn't even know if they still had their phones, if they were awake yet, or if they were even allowed to have their phones on. But he needed to hear his alpha's voice because right now he could barely contain his fear.

"According to the map," Selina began, "We need to take the right at the roundabout, travel for about three miles around the ring road until we get to the turning with a sign with a large cross on it. It can't be too difficult to find."

"Ok," Imara said, "It shouldn't be to difficult. Don't worry we'll be there soon."

TJ let out an irritated sigh, "And then what?"

"Then we find out exactly what's going on," Imara said menacingly.

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

Matei was the first to wake up. He was aware that he wasn't alone, in fact Jana was asleep in the bed next to his. She looked pale, but had more colour than before, and the bump on her head didn't look so frightening any more. She was connected to various monitors and was connected a ventilator as well, which made Matei panic. Her arm was bandaged and she appeared to have bandages around her stomach too, but other than that she appeared to be ok.

Matei was glad of that, and glad that they were alone too. They'd definitely missed the conference but he expected the press to be here soon, along with government officials too. There would be questions. He let out a sigh- they weren't going to get a break any time soon.

He almost jumped as he heard the sound of someone walking along the corridor and into the room. It was a young woman, in her early thirties and she reminded him a lot of his foster mother, Amanda. The woman had long wavy mahogany hair that fell to just past her shoulders and kind brown eyes. She was tan but clearly not French or Italian, in fact Matei thought she looked very British.

She smiled as she saw that he was awake and approached carefully but not at all afraid, she held out a card in front of her, Newcastle-upon-Tyne university, it was a few years old but it stated that her name was Anna Black and that she'd worked at the university as a genetic researcher. A second later she held out a photo of what appeared to be a younger her- and could that be Dr Whitewood too?

"We were wild during our post-doc years," Anna said with a smile, "You see? I'm a friend of Dr Whitewood. I'm not working for those leeches. Trust me, I'll keep away the journalists for the next few days at least, tell them you're still too sick to talk to anyone. You two deserve a break from this insanity."

"Do you know about...?" Matei began nervously.

Anna nodded, "I knew about them almost as soon as Dr Whitewood did. There was a young girl- five or so- her parents died in a car crash, and she was brought here. Her blood results looked odd- we thought it was a problem with the testing kits and I sent it to the laboratory at Segolia for better analysis. That's when I found out."

Matei nodded understandingly, "Did that happen a lot? Before... Wolfblood getting sent to human hospitals."

Anna nodded, "Occasionally. But I guess most of the time people put a plan in place for events like that, so that Segolia could pick up the pieces before the authorities could intervene. Like with your sister, after the fire, or so I've been told. Segolia created a fake healthcare facility where she looked after until they could send you off to a fake foster family."

"They're not a fake family!" Matei yelled, "They're a real family to us!"

"Matei," Anna said, "Calm down. I wasn't suggesting that your foster parents don't love you or your sister. What I mean is that, if wolfbloods had trusted us earlier, humans like Dr Whitewood and I, then your lives wouldn't be in danger every time you cut yourself or bump your head."

"And why should I trust you?" Matei asked venomously.

"I guess I deserve that," Anna began, adjusting one of the monitors next to Jana's bed, "I know how this will sound but- well, for one thing, you don't have much of a choice. My boss wanted to hand you both over to the authorities immediately, I don't- I'm not that cold. Two, I'm Dr Whitewood's friend from uni and have known her for years, we worked together at her old lab until I moved to France five years ago. In fact she called me as soon as she knew you'd arrived here. I had a hard time getting out of paediatrics. You can call her if you like."

Matei nodded, and Anna passed him her mobile phone, before dialling he said, "How is Jana?"

Anna smiled as reassuringly as possible, "She'll be ok. She had concussion but it's healing fast, a broken arm, a couple of broken ribs, and... well.… A fair bit of internal bleeding- ruptured lung, cuts to her liver and spleen- which we forced to remove. I'm sorry, Matei."

Matei nodded grimly, "I guess we'll just have to take a lot of care to make sure she doesn't get ill."

Anna nodded, "We all will, but wolfblood immune system are super strong. She may well not be affected at all."

Matei shook his head, "Jana has a weaker immune system than other wolfbloods, she was born too early."

Anna chewed her lip, "I'll keep that in mind."

Matei nodded, "And, and, what about...?"

"You," Anna began, "Five broken ribs that caused some swelling around your lungs, a badly broken ankle, and lots of cuts and bruises from metal and glass. You got off quite well."

"No one else survived, did they?" Matei asked grimly.

"Four humans," Anna replied grimly, "Other than that, no. And the investigation has only just started so I can't give you any more information."

"Is it ok if I call in here?" Matei asked.

"Well usually we'd say no," Anna said, "But this is one of the few places where cameras aren't allowed and there's no equipment for them to mess with. Just make it quick though, my boss will be suspicious otherwise."

Matei nodded, before trying to dial Dr Whitewood's number, but it was no use. Instead he called TJ, who picked up instantly.

"Hello?" TJ asked grumpily, "Who is this? Seriously this better not be a prank call, I'm not in the mood."

"Hi, TJ," Matei answered groggily, trying to fight off the haze from the painkillers that was beginning to descend again, "Nice to hear from you too."

"Matei!" TJ exclaimed in shock, "Let me just put you on speaker phone. Where are you? Where's Jana? What's going on? Are you ok? And who's Anna?"

"Matei!" Selina yelled, "Thank goodness you're alive! Where's Jana? We're on a our way."

"I'm ok," Matei replied, "Just a few broken ribs and a broken ankle, nothing serious. Jana's a little worse off, but she's getting better. We're lucky to have walked away from that. We're at some hospital, oh, Anna says it's the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble in Room G14- Ward G, Room 14, paediatrics. Anna's one of Dr Whitewood's old friends who she used to party with a lot at uni."

Anna sighed, shaking her head, and patted Jana's leg gently, "You've found a real charmer there kiddo."

"Selina's just texting now to confirm that's true," TJ replied, "And we'll be there in fifteen minutes. Are you sure you're ok? Is there anything you need?"

"Apart from the sequel to A Dance with Dragons," Matei replied, "I think I'm ok. You just make sure to keep an eye out from trouble, whoever did this wanted us dead, and there's a chance they'll be after you too."

"Will do," TJ replied, "Dr Whitewood says she knows Anna, Anna Black, but that we're not to ask about anything that happened during her uni days. Oh, and your foster parents are coming too, they're just outside of Paris."

"Good to know. I bet she hooked up with Jeffries," Matei said with a smile.

Anna laughed a little, "Oh, you have no idea."

"Anyway, mum says we're nearly there," TJ said, "How do we get in? I assume we won't be able to just waltz in through the front door."

Anna thought for a while, "I'll meet them at the entrance to the oncology department."

"Entrance to the oncology department," Matei repeated, "And stay safe, yeah?"

"Of course," TJ said.

"Will do," Selina added, "Tell Jana we'll be there before she knows it."

"I will," Matei replied, "If I don't fall into a morphine coma first."

TJ laughed sadly, "Well at least you're being looked after."

"Yeah," Matei agreed, "See you soon."

"Yeah, we'll be there before you know it," TJ said before hanging up.

Matei passed the phone back to Anna, "Thank you."

"No problem," Anna said with a grin, "So, you're pack will be here soon? Sorry, I just find wolfbloods really fascinating, is all."

Matei nodded, "Jana and I, we're the alphas, well Jana is, I'm sort of... Well."

"The boyfriend?" Anna asked, "I can tell."

Matei grinned despite himself, "Fiancé actually."

"Kids these days!" Anna replied, "So how far along is she then?"

Matei's eyes were wide with shock, "Erm, we're not..."

"Just messing with you," Anna answered, "She's lucky to have someone like you, who's so protective and caring."

Matei smiled, yawning a lot, "She's fy enaid cymar alffa. It means soul-mate alpha, in Welsh. Jana's from Wales originally, but she's lived up north for a good three or so years on and off. Actually more I think, her family moved to Scotland when she was little. I'm just a Geordie through and through."

"That's odd," Anna began, "Your medical records say you're white Romanian."

"Parents are from Transylvania," Matei answered, "Cliché but true."

"And your sister?" Anna asked, "It's just she's mentioned here a few times."

"Emilia," Matei said with sudden worry, "I... She moved away a little while ago, to live with some relatives. I need to talk to her... To get a message to her..."

"I'm sure she'll have heard," Anna said reassuringly, "You should rest now."

Matei shook his head, "I have to stay awake for when my pack gets here."

Anna shook her head, "You have to rest. You might be the alphas, but I'm the boss here. Sleep. I'll make sure you and Jana are ok."

Matei nodded sleepily, giving Jana one last loving glance before dozing off soundlessly.

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

"Anna," Dr Whitewood said without preamble, "It's been a long time."

Anna nodded, "You're right it has. We've been missing you on the French Rivera. Now come on, tea and bikkies later, let's get you inside before the leeches descend."

Katrina and TJ exchanged a concerned look, before heading through a parking lot with the rest of their pack towards the back entrance of the paediatrics department.

Aran and Meinir exchanged worried looks.

"Is she ok?" Aran asked, "Jana, is she ok?"

Anna nodded, "She'll be fine. Older brother?"

Aran shook his head, "Just a friend."

"Ok," Anna said sceptically, before trying to kick the door open, "I hate inward opening fire escapes."

"Here, let me," TJ offered, trying to kick it, but ending up only wincing instead as the door failed to budge.

"Don't worry I have a crowbar in the car," Imara replied, "Just give me a moment."

"Yeah, that's normal," Anna replied.

Dr Whitewood sighed, "How are they?"

"Matei is overprotective," Anna replied, "Worrisome and doesn't trust me at all. As for Jana, she isn't awake yet, but I think she's ok actually."

"Anna, seriously!" Dr Whitewood exclaimed, "I'm asking for a report on their injuries not a character report."

"Ok, ok," Anna said, "Matei had pleurisy, five broken ribs and a badly broken tibia, and bruises and cuts caused by broken metal and glass. As for Jana- concussion, two broken ribs which punctured her left lung, hepatic lacerations, and a splenectomy."

"Shit!" Dr Whitewood said, "I'm assuming she's in paediatric ICU."

Anna shook her head, "I couldn't get away with that. Paediatrics wouldn't take them- under 16s now. They're in their own separate room, about four nurses and three doctors on standby at any one time. Much better than ICU, but then they are celebrities."

Dr Whitewood nodded, "I just hope they'll be ok."

Anna nodded, "Jana's strong. Matei told me she has a weak immune system, but that can't be true at all, I've spent the past three hours trying to keep her from suffering from a cytokine storm."

"It's a rumour," Dr Whitewood confirmed, "Her family assumed the worst because Jana was born a month early and was apparently sickly as a baby. As it turns out, she's lactose intolerant and from what her father described she had colic too. Although he referred to it as spoilt alpha princess disorder. Jana's father is a well known wild wolfblood alpha, I think I told you about the wild pack when I first mentioned the wolfbloods. So to them she's as good as a princess."

Anna smiled, "Will her father be coming here?"

Dr Whitewood shook her head, "He's had to move his pack to a more rural location, and he'll be relied upon more than ever now. It will be impossible to get a message to him before they're moved back to England anyway. As for Jana's mother... She died when she was very young, three or four I think. Car accident. She doesn't like talking about it, I don't think she's even mentioned it to Matei."

Anna nodded as Imara appeared, crowbar in hand.

"Do your worst," Anna said, gesturing towards the door, and seconds later Imara swung at it, making a large dent.

"I'll see what I can do," Selina said, taking the crowbar and smashing it into the doors until they shattered apart.

"Sorry, TJ, girls win this time," Meinir replied with a smug smile.

TJ shook his head, "Let's just find our alphas."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

Jana woke up groggily, tearing at the strange object that was attached to her face. Her heart was racing with panic and she couldn't see clearly. Where was Matei and the rest of her pack?

All she could see was her Mum everywhere she looked. Not the Mum she had grown up with- not the Mum who always smiled and spoilt her, who would tell her stories before bed, always let her sleep with the firefly jar even when he dad said that it was for babies and not alpha heirs, the young woman with messy red hair and wide emerald eyes.

Instead she saw a bloodied corpse, with its leg nearly ripped off. Jana hadn't been allowed to see her mother after the accident. She had barely been allowed to attend the funeral.

But it felt so real.

Jana yelled out in horror, "Mum! MUMMY! NO! MUMMY! PLEASE!"

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

The pack heard Jana's screams before they ran into the room.

Their alpha was staring at the ceiling, her eyes blank, and she looked pale. In the bed next to her Matei was just waking up and trying to make his way towards her, although he looked dizzy and unsteady.

Jana thrashed this way and that, in pain as she rolled onto the badly injured side of her stomach. She was crying and crying and yelling and yelling for her mum.

"Is she..?" Selina asked.

Dr Whitewood raced towards the young cub, Meinir following and trying to sit on the edge of the bed, stroking Jana's dirty and tangled hair.

"Mummy," Jana said in a voice barely above a whisper, crying loudly.

Meinir tried to hold back tears. What could she do? She knew Arianne better than anyone else. She had been her heir. Think, think, she told herself. There had to be something she could do to calm down Jana.

Then it struck her. The lullaby.

Meinir began to hum softly and Jana quietened a little, sobs still shuddering through her as Anna and Dr Whitewood tried to figure out what was going on.

"The morphine," Dr Whitewood said, "I think it causes hallucinations."

Jana sobbed a little, but her eyes seemed to focus more now, and she noticed her pack around her and was even able to give them a small but miserable smile.

Aran helped Matei into a nearby chair which had been pushed close to Jana's bed, and the young cub took his enaid cymar alphas hand in both of his shaky ones.

"We're here, Jana," Imara said gently, "You're safe now."

Jana shook her head miserably, "I don't want to be here. I just want Mummy."