Maddy's POV.
"What was all that about?" calls Rhydian, somewhere to my left. We're halfway through the five minute run to the village, and I ignore him for a moment as I savour the tap of the pavement beneath my feet. He rolls his eyes, jumping straight in front of me so that we almost crash. "Are you gonna answer me or what?" he insists, seizing the tops of my arms.
"Ow!" I say pointedly, and he drops his hands as if they've been scorched, "Besides, that's what."
"Oh, good - I was worried you were going to be vague." Rhydian replies sarcastically. Laughing, I punch him playfully on the shoulder.
"Mam and Dad... I think they wanted to come back, at some point. They hid all our stuff in the tunnels. You know, Williams den?"
"What has that got to do with anything?"
"I dunno... I just couldn't face going down there. Not after they've nearly forced me away, and I've been trapped in that endless woods... I need my freedom, you know?"
"Oh," he nods understandingly, "I thought we were up to something." he finishes with a grin.
"We can be," I shrug, "if you like."
"Who are you, and what've you done with Maddy Smith?" he gasps, wrapping a strong arm around my shoulders and strolling us towards the heart of Stoanybridge. "Cause I was gonna take her to Bernie's."
"Classy." I scoff, mock-snooty.
"So you can use the phone," he explains, "you know? To call Shannon?"
"Oh, right!" I say, remembering how I'd had to toss my phone into a river - Mam's orders, before we left.
"There we go!" he smirks.
"Shut up!" I advise him, staring hungrily at the familiar buildings around us. Considering I only left two days ago, I'm surprisingly desperate to see it all again. When I spot Bernie's, I can't help but smile, and I pull Rhydian inside hastily. Luckily, it's empty except for us and Bernie himself.
"Can I use the phone?" I ask the man behind the counter.
"Sure, hun." he waves dismissively. "You know where it is."
"Thanks." I say, leaving Rhydian to sit at our usual table as I walk into the small side room. Not many people know its here, but it's a decent place to make private calls - even if the phone is ancient.
Fortunately, I know Shan's number by heart. Chewing my lip nervously as I punch in the numbers, I pray that she picks up. Please...
"Hello?" she answers on the first ring.
"Shan!" I laugh in relief.
"Maddy? Is that you?"
"Duh... Thought you were supposed to be smart?"
"It really is! Tom, it's Mads!" she adds quietly as I hear someone mumble a question on her end.
"Hey, Tom!" I beam, listening to the unmistakable echo of Shannon putting me on speakerphone.
"Mads!" he yells happily. "Where are you?"
"Bernie's" I tell them casually.
"So Rhydian found you, then?" Shannon demands, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
"Yep. He's just outside now."
"Thank god! So, are you back now - like, for good?" Tom interrupts.
"I think so - but it's risky. I have to be careful." I warn them.
"We know - Whitewood took a lot of convincing. She kept threatening to spill anyway, like she didn't care if she went down, too." Shannon adds reluctantly.
"That doesn't surprise me," I sigh, "but as long as she doesn't get a hold of your evidence against her, I should be fine."
"Well, that's alright then," she continues, "I'll never let her get close."
"I know," I reassure her, "I trust you completely, Shan. Anyway, where are you?"
"Oh, I dunno - school maybe?" she hisses, her voice lowering so that I can hear the low rumble of chatter surrounding her. One muffled voice soars over the others:
"Shannon Kelly, put that away!"
Jeffries.
"I've gotta go," Shannon moans, meet me at mine when we've finished?"
"Sure." I promise, and the line goes dead. Chuckling softly, I shake my head and creep back to Rhydian - Bernie asks too many questions sometimes, and I really can't deal with them right now.
"So? Did you speak to her?" Rhydian asks eagerly as I slide onto the cold plastic chair opposite him.
"Yep."
"And?"
"She wants us to meet her after school - her place."
"School? Is it bad that I totally forgot I was skipping class?" Rhydian winces, passing me the last half of a hot chocolate he must have bought with loose change.
"Don't worry," I tell him as I sip it gratefully, "you're not the only one." I remind him, gesturing to myself.
"I suppose," he smiles, visibly relaxing, "but we can't kill... Four hours in Bernie's"
"What do you propose we do then?" I counter, eyeing the sudden rainfall apprehensively. In all honesty, I'd be happy just sitting here with Rhydian, sheltered from the unusually cold day.
"I don't know," he admits, tearing his eyes away from me and taking it in, "but can you believe it was actually sunny earlier?"
"Not any more." I say, slurping up the last dregs of warm chocolatey goodness from the mug.
"Would it kill you to be ladylike?" he laughs, his foot fiddling absently with mine under the table.
"It would, actually," I grin, wiping the sleeve of my tattered jumper across my mouth before sticking my tongue out at him. He cracks up, and I smile as the sound envelopes me in a layer of comfort and security. Being with each other like this... It feels easy, natural.
"I miss this," Rhydian murmurs, taking my hands as he stops abruptly.
"I know what you mean." I reply - and it's true. Between the wild pack, Rhydian's Mum, school and Whitewood, we've hardly had any time to be... Well, us.
"How long has it been since we did anything normal?" he wonders, tracing
light circles against the back of my left hand. I try to ignore the faint twinge, but even though the last full moon has near enough healed my wrist, it still hurts when it's pulled like that. "Sorry." he adds, loosening his grip at my expression.
"I'm fine, Rhydian," I assure him, "and I honestly can't remember. This is normal, though - comfortable."
"I'm glad you think so - it feels like I've got my best friend back, only... Only better." he explains.
"I've come a long way from 'Smelly girl', then." I tease, thinking back to when I first really talked to him.
"You're impossible!" he groans, slumping in seat as he throws his hands above his head.
"Love you too," I laugh, resting my elbows on the table and folding my hands beneath my chin. "leek boy."
"You're right," he mutters, "Maddy, shooting me down? Completely normal."
"Oi!" I protest, smacking at his hand. He whips it away just in time, smirking.
"Can't you take a joke?" he taunts, biting back his laughter.
"Course I can," I insist stubbornly.
"Sure," he sighs, "whatever you say."
"Right," I grin smugly, "as long as you know that. Now, what are we going to do 'til Tom and Shan finish school?"
"This?" he asks, leaning across the table to kiss me.
"Tempting," I allow as we break apart, "but I think that's an easy way to get yourself killed - have you met my Dad?"
"Then... Let's go to Shannon's now. Her parents'll be at work, and we can set something up. A thank you."
"That's.. actually a great idea." I admit, eyes widening in a pleasant shock at his consideration.
"Always the tone of surprise." he grins, pulling himself to his feet and waiting as I do the same. Opening the door with a dramatic sweeping gesture, he holds it for me and I call a goodbye to Bernie as we leave. The second we're out of sight, we break into a run, and I can't resist yelling:
"Race you!" - but it seems that I'm the only one full to bursting with a joyful energy, because Rhydian just takes my hand firmly. Together, we sprint across the cobblestones, and I breathe in the musty scent of the buildings around us. It smells so strongly of home that I can't believe I almost had to leave, and he squeezes my hand in reassurance.
"You don't have to go ever again." he vowes as we reach Shannon's house. I nod vaguely, distracted by finding an entrance. Luckily, there's an open window on the ground floor - the living room one.
"Here!" I exclaim, waving Rhydian over.
"Ladies first." he says, and I haul myself through. As I land softly on the carpet, a horrible smell hits my nose; sinister and sterile, almost clinical.
Whitewood!
Before I have time to think about what I'm doing, I turn and slam the window shut so that Rhydian can't get in.
"Maddy?"he calls uncertainly, his voice muffled by the glass. "Mads, what's wrong? Open the window!"
"I'm sorry!" I mouth, and his eyes lock on the chaos in the room. It's a tip, and someone has obviously been searching for something judging by the way the furniture is strewn across the floor. Rhydian pounds on the glass, howling my name as the pieces fall into place. I turn away, taking in the smashed ornaments and cracked frames, the draws that hang open.
And that's when I see it.
A small silver gleam catches my eye, and I notice a fragile trail of metallic string webbing across the floor. I run my hands nervously through my hair, chewing my lip as I try to place it. A single strand of my my brown locks falls to the floor, and when it hits the strange covering the whole thing flares red. It's just for an instant, but it makes me snarl with sudden panic. The net hums for a second, reminding me horribly of power lines, and an electronic voice states:
"Wolfblood detected."
Net...
It's a trap!
But I realise too late, and soon the strands of silver across the carpet rise, ensnaring me as I'm lifted off my feet. I hang suspended from the ceiling, and my howls of pain echo Rhydians helpless screams as the metallic string sears my skin. I was right about the silver, then. In desperation, I try to transform - but the net around me is like a cage preventing the wolf from leaving. I can't phase, and the horrible string feels like its choking me. Whimpering, I curl up inside the net and try to fight the drained feeling growing inside my body.
"Maddy!" wails Rhydian, hammering his fists against the window. "Maddy, behind you!"
He sounds so frenzied that I twist, turning with the little energy I have left.
"Hello Maddy." she says when I see her. It's Dr Whitewood, her voice a threatening purr. In her hand is a plastic bag, containing a single plaster.
She's found Shannon's evidence.
"Let... Let me go!" I try, but my voice is already weak with exhaustion.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," sighs Whitewood, shaking her head as if in sincere regret, "that wouldn't do at all. You see, the wild man... Alric, is it? He has promised to destroy this evidence against me in a way that even I cannot achieve. All he asks in return us your capture. Admittedly, he also wanted your little pet outside - but I'll deal with him later."
"You... You won't... You won't get away with this!"
"Oh, Madeline - I already have. I've won. The whole world will know about you and your kind, know what monsters you are. I'll have you for evidence - necessary you see, nothing personal. And as if this wasn't enough, there'll be nothing left to link me to your inhuman species."
"You're the monster!" I spit, filled with an electrifying rush of rage.
"Maybe," she allows, "but I've still succeeded."
"You've failed!" I tell her, but the sound of my voice is much too loud. Too deep, as well - throaty and growling. That's not my voice...
Alric.
I force my eyes wide open, and see he's standing right behind Dr Whitewood. She may be clever enough to spy on Shannon's house, but she's no match for Alric's cunning.
"You've failed," he repeats, "the other cub is still free. For this, you will pay!" and with that, he rips the transparent bag from her trembling hands and tosses it through the air. By some miracle, it catches on a strand of the net and I tug it inside.
"But look - don't you see? He can't leave her! He's nowhere near free!" Whitewood pleads.
"That is not enough!" snarls Alric, and he lifts his clawed hand level with her throat - just as the glass finally gives way under Rhydians beating and the window shatters.