1/13/2021
Chapter 8: Bittersweet Olive Branch
Rhydian collided with Addie, the two crashing into the opposing wall with unanticipated force.
"What the hell?!" Addie hollered, maneuvering in his hold to look him in his face. Her eyes wide in shock at who created their undesirable collision.
"You're in danger," he grunted. Whipping his head to look behind him, he saw the creatures at the front steps, arms outstretched, ebony talon-like claws extended. Rhydian grimaced before throwing his weight against the door. Bolting the top latch, he grabbed the small corner table and pressed it against the door. The beasts hammered the door, the wood buckling under their power. Someone has to hear them, he thought to himself.
Watching the door, praying it would hold out under the relentless pounding, he took a few tentative steps back.
"I'm calling the police," she declared, punctuating the statement by kneeing him in the stomach. She sped away, deeper into her home, leaving the Wolfblood doubled over, coughing. Rhydian sucked in as much air as his now bruised solar plexus would permit. He inched into the living area, taking in the space, searching for evidence of a companion, a co-habitant . . . a spouse. Many scents spotted the space, but it didn't confirm she was seeing someone. Making his way to follow her into the galley-style kitchen, he heard a window smash behind him. Turning around, a large arm snaked through the peach colored drapes, blindly searching for the window lock.
"You've got to be kidding me?" he groaned.
Rhydian lunged at the floor and grabbed a shard of glass, in his haste cutting himself. Securing his grip on the piece of glass, the clear blade smeared red with his own blood, Rhydian stabbed the groping hand with all his might. The intruder pulling away immediately with a long howl rippling through the night. Rhydian crabbed walked into the center of the room, panting, he was not prepared in the least to do battle with the beast snarling outside.
Addie returned, armed with a tennis racket. Rhydian covered his face, preparing for the assault. Addie moved passed Rhydian but came to a standstill as her eyes landed on the head that poked through. Rhydian was sure it was a man, but he looked like an extra from a science fiction movie. His nose flattened, wide nostrils flared, ears pointed - rounded with hair, eyes sheltered in a prominent forehead, and an elongated jaw, housing a mouth filled with overlapping sharp teeth. As the young Mr. Morris took in its features, defined under a layer of fur, he couldn't help but conclude that werewolves existed and he was looking at one.
The racket dangled, limply in her hand that rested at her side, the other hand covering her mouth as if to hold in a scream. Rhydian snatched the racket and backhanded the animal right in the snout. He reared his arm back for a second go when the beast caught the racket mid-swing and wrenched it from Rhydian to the point he nearly took the Wolfblood back out the window with him. Rhydian stumbled back, the creature carefully placed its hands on the broken sill and began to make its way inside. Rhydian grabbed a small clay sculpture that sat innocently on the adjacent coffee table and slammed it over the werewolf's head. The creature dropped back outside, if only for a momentary reprieve. Rhydian grabbed Addie's hand and led her back to the kitchen. He leaned on the counter, noticing the terror on her face as she examined her hand that was dripping with blood - his blood. Rhydian pulled his wounded hand from the counter, a smeared handprint remaining. "Sorry," he muttered, unsure what to do with his sliced hand.
"Are those w-w-werewolves?" she stammered, setting aside her disdain for the Wolfblood in front of her.
Rhydian nodded numbly. In all the commotion, he finally had a minute to just be with her and he he couldn't think of a blasted thing to say.
The door to the back yard rattled. Each push and pull at the weakening handle, one less second they had to get to safety. Obviously, the other werewolf had rushed out back to sneak up on them from the other end. They were surrounded.
Rhydian couldn't explain it, but he knew the other one was female, but from the silhouette he could see outside the small window in the doorway, she was the size of an average man. The force of her pulling on the door knob was cracking the inset glass. Rhydian knew it wouldn't be long before she was inside.
Rhydian felt backed into a literal and figurative corner. He felt his teeth shift and his eyes change, his senses honing in on all the smells, tastes, and sounds he couldn't quite focus on minutes ago. "Go, hide," he commanded, pushing her out of the kitchen.
Addie didn't budge, her eyes locked on him. Rhydian was about shove her in a closet when she blurted, "You're one of them!"
"I'm not!" He ground out. "I'm a Wolfblood, not a Werewolf!" The irony not lost on him, he rolled his eyes before commanding her again, "Go hide, Maddy!"
"That's not my name!" Rhydian let out a frustrated growl. This is what she was getting hung up on?
"Hide!" he hollered and shoved her toward the stairs.
She looked about to protest but at the sound of the back door giving and thump of someone - something - landing in the living room, she hustled to the second floor of the row home. Rhydian had his back to the kitchen, but at the last second spun around and was able to throw the werewolf that was rushing him into its counterpart. Rhydian leaned against the railing as his muscles spasmed. The momentary distraction costing him as he felt two arms hug around his waist and pummel him through the banister into the stairs. Rhydian coughed, all the air exiting him at once. The edges of his sight dark and fuzzy, he felt immense regret at snubbing Alric's offer to teach him the skill of fighting as a Wolfblood all those years ago. A begrudging whimper escaped pass his lips as a long nail pressed into his shoulder joint.
Rhydian swiped at the werewolf's face, catching him behind a pointed ear and dragging his nails down his face, into his eyes and across his nose. While it would have been better if he, too, had come equipped with the talon-like nails, the beast still screwed his eyes shut and retracted his hands to cover his face. Rhydian thrust his bad foot into the creature's stomach, pushing him off.
The female leapt over the two skirmishing males and began ascending the steps. Grunting as he got to his feet, Rhydian scrambled up the steps behind her. Lunging forward, he latched onto the ankle of the werewolf, tugging her down a few stairs. Rhydian was shocked (if that was even possible at this point) at the sheer power they exuded as the female regained her balance and began to pull him with her. Rhydian yanked harder, he saw from the corner of his eye the male grab him by his waist, ten razor sharp nails biting into his skin. He yanked at Rhydian, trying to pull him back down the stairwell. Unwilling to let go, the Wolfblood was briefly suspending in air like a tug toy.
Thankfully, red and blue lights flooded the inside of the room, sirens wailing as more cars pulled up. Rhydian landed on the stairs with an 'oomph' as the two werewolves scurried through the kitchen and out the back door. He listened to the shrubbery in the backyard rustle and the light thump of them landing on the other side of the tall fence that protected the property.
Rhydian exhaled. Everything ached. He wasn't sure how long his eyes had been closed, but they snapped open as the thought surfaced that he could not be caught by the police again. Stumbling up the last step to the second floor, Rhydian witness two officers burst through the front door. The disarray of the home was not missed in his quick glance downstairs; yet, there was nothing he could do to improve the situation. Limping through the hall, he could smell Maddy, hear her softly sobbing as she hid in the room right next to him. Every fiber of his being itched to open the door that separated them, but he knew he couldn't.
Hearing one of the inspector issue instructions to check the outside perimeter and others to follow him upstairs, Rhydian was painfully aware he needed to disappear quick. Spotting an empty bedroom, he hustled inside and closed the door. He pushed the adjacent dresser in front of it. Huffing and puffing, completely gassed by the action, Rhydian suppressed the desire to inspect the room for signs of an occupant. Opening the window, he peered down below and was relieved to find the area deserted. Rhydian murmured a quick prayer before swinging one leg out the window, he hesitated for a moment, wondering how painful the landing would feel. Whispers from the other side of the door and the jiggling of the handle were his cue to leave. Rhydian looked back one last time before making the jump.
He fell to his knees but managing to quickly get himself to his feet. Rhydian listened as more officers entered through the front and back doors, leaving the side of the house unmanned. He could hear officers talking to Ma - Addie, announcing themselves. It was over. Or so he thought . .
Vicious barking broke the minute of serenity. A K-9 unit had arrived on the scene to give assistance. "Where were they ten minutes ago?" Rhydian grumbled as heaved himself up and over the fence with the little strength he had left. He forced himself down a side street, hoping to create enough distance to gather himself.
"I just need to rest," he assured himself. He could hear the dog dragging the officer behind, snarling as it followed Rhydian's scent.
Understanding he couldn't just loiter there, Rhydian found a school playground and crawled into the hiding spot of a jungle gym, reappearing as a very fatigued and downtrodden - but still - menacing wolf. Small spotlights danced about the school yard until they landed on his wolf form. As he came into full view, all four officers that had been pursuing him came to halt, the one officer tied to the German Shepherd pulling on the lead of the dog to hold him back.
"Constable, we need animal control. Where'd the bloody hell did ye come from?" the sergeant commanded.
"You think he's what caused all that damage?" another queried.
As the officer radioed dispatch, Rhydian fled, hobbling on three paws. He heard them holler, desperate to keep eyes on him. Rhydian spotted an iron fence at the edge of the playground and squeezed between the rungs. Ambling along another couple of streets, he ducked between some bins, finally re-emerging as himself. Completely spent and needing medical attention, Rhydian did the only thing he could think of. He unlocked his phone, found his favorites, selected the fourth number from the top and prayed they picked up.
Rhydian's eyes felt heavy and he turned his head, pressing it into something noticeably soft and familiar. He smiled, the texture that of a worn and adored teddy bear. A deep inhale and he recognized the smell, the last few hours replaying like a buffering movie in his mind. Rhydian groaned as he shifted trying to rally his muscles and conscious to wake.
He recognized the strong, somewhat nasally female voice and a deeper male's voice talking in hushed whispers to another woman with a lighter, almost tittering-like inflection.
"Hey, I think he's up."
There was grunt from one of the women in acknowledgement to the observation.
"Don't start, yah?" the male warned. "We're here because we're his mates. Ah . . . maybe he was just shiftin', his eyes are still closed and he's not movin' anymore."
"I'm sorry, Shannon . . . Tom, I didn't know who else to call? I . . ." the woman sighed, tapping her spoon against the rim of a ceramic mug..
"Nah, you did the right thing callin' us," Tom assured. "I"m just surprised he'd call you, get you all involved in this."
"Yeah well, I guess it makes me a fool," she answered with an edge in her usually light voice.
"No, that's not true, Laura," Shannon comforted. "It's hard to explain . . . "
"Maybe," a loud sigh escaped his ex-fiancee, "If I weren't the . . . other woman . . . I'd find this whole damn thing unbelievably romantic."
"From what you said, I'm actually worried about Rhydian?"
Laura 'hmm', in a detached form of agreement.
"Ah, he'll be fine,Shan. Wolfbloods heal faster than us."
Rhydian inward groaned, his suspicions confirmed that she had blabbed everything he had confided in her.
"It's not that," Shannon dismissed.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," she sighed, taking a long sip of her coffee.
"Ya lost me," Tom announced and Rhydian could picture the not-so-subtle the eye roll from Shannon.
"If Maddy - or this person he believes is her - she rejects him or maybe . . . maybe it isn't really her - some look-alike or something," she urged, her tone oscillating to a yell that resulted in echoing shushes. "I'm just," she pressed on more quietly, "I'm just afraid what it will do to him . . . his mind . . . his wolf."
It had grown unbearably quiet, and figuring it was time to make himself known, Rhydian rolled to his side, and while each muscle ached, he was able to push himself into a sitting position. Rhydian's skin erupted with goose bumps as the fleece blanket fell around his waist. He took a moment to examine himself. A layer of soft towels, provided a barrier between him and the couch. Gauze was wrapped around his torso, and around his shoulder. He twisted as he traced the seam of the wrap with his eyes, hissing as his body fought the movement.
"Careful," warned Laura. He looked up to see three sets of eyes watching him. Rhydian sighed, and touched the spot above his eye, feeling the textured wrappings around his hand graze his cheek. "I did the best I could given you insistence of not involving a proper doctor."
"Thank you," Shannon responded gratefully.
Noticing the chill spreading down his legs, he realized the only thing he was dressed in was his boxers. "Um . . ."
"I threw 'em out, they had blood and dirt, and God only knows what else. I realize that may not have been the best idea now," she declared, looking at Shannon pointedly, "But, you had left some of your clothes here, and a pair of sneakers, so . . ." she explained, gesturing to his state of undress.
Rhydian shook his head in disbelief as he recalled the night before. It was then he realized it was dark again. "How long have I been out?"
"Nearly a day," Laura filled in. She placed her mug on the kitchen island and drifted over to Rhydian. "Come on, your clothing is still in the draws where you left 'em." She jerked her head for him to follow, exiting the living area toward the master bedroom.
Rhydian looked back at his mates, specifically Shannon.
"Right," she acknowledged, turning away from Rhydian."I'll just pretend I've never seen a half-naked man, it's not like I'm pregnant . . . or married."
He had just stepped into the room to see Laura roughly opening the dresser draws that housed his undershirts and jeans. She brushed passed him and slid one of the closet doors open to pilfer a pair of his sneakers, which she dropped by a bench that was at the end of the bed to sit. Rhydian silently grabbed a pair of jeans without stains or holes in them, a suitable white undershirt and flannel button down. He gingerly sat and had just slipped his foot inside his right Sketcher when Laura asked, "So, what now Sherlock?"
Rhydian let out an exasperated sigh, as he dragged his good hand down his face, gently.
"I'm not sure." He scrunched his face up thinking about if Segolia was aware yet of what happened. It didn't sound as if she had reported him. Understanding it had been nearly twenty-four hours since everything had occurred and he wasn't waking up in a detention cell in the depths of Segolia's underground holding area, he was feeling somewhat certain he escaped their clutches once again. But, how much longer would it be before his luck ran out?
"That's an honest answer. . . for once," she muttered.
Rhydian grimaced, but continued with putting his trainers on, lacing them up. He shot up from the bench seat a little faster than he should have and hissed, clutching his side.
The look she shot him held no mercy.
"I get it, all right? I shouldn't 've called ya," he spat. Looking out the door in the direction where his friends were waiting, "I was obviously wrong to drag you into it."
"Obviously," she parroted.
She stepped aside, gesturing for him to exit first.
Not quite back in the living room, he turned to her, the two nearly colliding. "I know ya probably tired of hearin' it, but I am sorry."
Her shoulders sagged, and her face softened. "I know."
There was a long silence, "I guess we should be going."
"Yeah, I think so," she confirmed, giving him a lopsided smile.
Rhydian and Laura returned, and with a wave of his hand, Tom and Shannon followed him to the front door. As the two Naturals exited into the hallway, Rhydian looked back. "It's probably best you forgot this, what I told you," he instructed.
"Told me what?" she asked, with an arched eyebrow.
Rhydian nodded in understanding closing the door with a quiet finality.
Rhydian looked about the room. A half constructed play pen sat abandoned in the middle of the living room, while some type of musical cube replaced the spot a plaque use to stand proudly from Harvard where Shannon studied abroad. This musical cube, according to Shannon, was proven to engage infants' brains, so they were more receptive to learning. Rhydian thought it was nonsense and moved on to look about the space some more. He noticed a small chest of toys rested against the wall where Tom had once allocated for his cleats, shin pads, and football. The small bookshelf Rhydian helped assemble a few years ago, housing all of Shannon's books on bio-chemistry and genetics had been evicted from their places and restocked with various books on parenting and baby development. Realizing he had been spacing, Rhydian re-entered the conversation which had been mostly small talk.
"So, how is everything with Nathan?" Shannon asked, settling in the chair next to her husband, taking a sip of her lemon water while they waited for their food to arrive.
Jana's face reddened, nearly matching her hair. "It's fine. He's, um, we're good."
"That from him?" Shannon pointed, eyeing the gold pendant that hung from a delicate gold chain around the redhead's neck.
"He made it, well . . . commissioned an artist to make it," she corrected herself, trying to be coy about the wealth that Nathan had at his disposal. Rhydian focused on the pendant, the delicate setting looked like fine tendrils - vines encapsulating a well-sized Rose gemstone in the shape of a heart. "Um, he says when I look at it, I'll be reminded that I have his heart . . . forever and always."
Rhydian shifted in his seat, turning away from Jana and the ostentatious jewelry she accessorized with - but not wanting to gaze any longer into the living room, his found solace in his chipped nails and bruised knuckles.
"How utterly romantic, don't you think Tom?" Shanon asked, eyeing her husband.
"Why do I even try?" Tom huffed, earning a light 'thwack' from his spouse.
Rhydian rolled his eyes. Luckily, Tom was the only one to notice his lack of enthusiasm for the topic of conversation. Had it been Shannon, she would have done more than just throw him a warning look.
"Well, well, well, I think someone is in love?" Shannon hummed, smirking as the blush on Jana's faced deepened - if that was even possible in Rhydian's opinion.
"I don't know . . ." Jana hesitated, her smile so wide, Rhydian thought it may break her face, "maybe."
Rhydian opened his mouth to tell her to be careful and not be swayed by false hope when instead he cried out in pain. Reaching for his shin, Rhydian whipped his attention to Tom, who had kicked him hard in the very same leg that was already hosting a fractured foot.
Both women looked at him suspiciously. "I bumped the table leg," the blonde muttered, massaging the spot where he was sure a bruise would soon form. Rhydian knew that Shannon knew he was lying, there was no center table leg or support beam to hit, but before she could decide to press the issue, the buzzer rang.
Shannon began to rise, only to be gestured to sit by her husband, "I got it."
"Good, then we can start," she said, looking at Rhydian who had wanted to eat before having to retell his adventure that contained battling werewolves. Somehow having food to dig into, even though he wasn't much in the mood to eat, felt like a mandatory requirement before dissecting last night's events and determining their new course of action. He was sure once he told them a minute-by-minute account of what transpired, he would be berated like a child for his questionable decisions that day.
From their spot at the modest dining table, the flat an open concept living area and kitchen, he spotted Tom's demeanor change as he opened their door. "Bloody hell."
"Well, good evening to you too, Mr. Okanawe."
"Right," he replied defeatedly. "Um, come in," Tom acquiesced, pulling the door open more and stepping aside.
In walked Dacia along with another woman. From his peripheral view, Rhydian watched Jana fidget, noticeably sliding further in her chair.
The woman behind her was of medium height, adorning a frumpy, ill-fitting turtle neck sweater, her eyes encased behind thick, black square eyeglasses. She had short blonde hair, cut into a clean bob. Her sweater matched a knee length deep chocolate brown skirt. "Greetings everyone," Dacia greeted in a cheery, false tone. "This is Hannah Fischer."
The woman waved, mouthing 'sorry' in Jana's direction.
Catching the action, Dacia corrected the woman, "Don't be, Miss Fischer. It's refreshing to still see loyalty where it matters," she added cooly.
Jana paled, reaching for her glass of red wine and swishing it around. A long moment passed as Dacia took in Rhydian's less than stellar appearance. He was convinced she was about to say something, yet she merely kept quiet.
Dacia pulled out a chair and seated herself, gesturing for Hannah to take the seat adjacent of her. Folding her her hands neatly over each other and straitening her back, she addressed them, "You know," she began clearing her throat, "My grandfather had a saying, 'Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.' Oh and what mistakes you made and mess you've all created for yourselves. Had to call in Reserves to help collect materials, mitigate issues, and supplement data. Just a wildfire of a different problems created by your actions. Not to mention all the laws broken. Vandalism, reckless endangerment, trespassin', assault, failure to obey orders from authority, aiding and abiding a fugitive, tampering with evidence," she ticked off with her fingers, looking at each one as she did so. "And that was just the one the Naturals' authorities came up with. I haven't even started on ours," she remarked, with a steely glare.
"So, you 'ere to cart us off then?" Rhydian ground out, his fingers curling reflexively into fists.
"I should. Haul all your arses off to our containment facility since you're clearly dead set on letting our secret out and creating as much work as possible for Segolia," she finished in a biting tone.
Rhydian snarled, his hands pressed on the table as he started to slowly rise. Tom elbowed him and gave him a look, pleadingly he sit back down.
"In spite of the immense workload and additional resources needed to sweep this under the rug - so to speak - you have uncovered some crucial - "
"We didn't discover buried treasure, I - we - found Maddy!" Rhydian hollered shooting up from his seat, the chair tipping backwards onto the floor in a loud clatter.
"Perhaps . . ."
"Perhaps!" Rhydian growled, pointing at her, "We did find her." Then pointing at himself, "I saw her - talked to her."
"And how did that go for you?"
At this Rhydian swallowed and wiped his hands on his jeans. He looked at his pack, hoping for support.
"I . . . we," he gestured to his friends, "we think it might be some type of stocking syndrome -"
"Stockholm," Shannon gently corrected, having enough sense to look down at her glass of water.
"Uh, yeah," Rhydian acknowledged, nodding to further his point. "Maddy might be under some type of oppression or something and -"
"She's not," Dacia cut in.
A beat of utter silence took over the room.
"Um, can I interest you in somethin'? Tea . . . coffee?" Tom offered, clearing his throat. Rhydian shot him a dirty look as if he had just announced his defection.
"We have no intention of staying, but thank you," Dacia declined, politely. Rhydian was about to retort something nasty, but was stopped short by Jana who dug her nails into his forearm so hard he was sure there would be prickles of blood left behind.
"You seem pretty sure she's not being controlled," Jana probed.
"This is a little outside your clearance now," she began, eyeing her apprentice. Rhydian swayed from one foot to another, listening intently. "Under the guise of being part of the London Task Force for Special Investigation, Segolia Division, I was able to speak with a rather frightened," at this she paused to look at Rhydian, "Addie Heart, in which I was able to learn that she suffers from TBI," before Rhydian could grill her on the meaning, Shannon interrupted.
"Traumatic Brain Injury," she breathed as if all the air had suddenly evaporated from her.
"Yes, the extent is not fully understood as she was collected by her family - not the Smiths - and taken to their home to recover from the experience of having her home overrun by monsters," she said, adding air quotes to the word 'monster'. "What I did ascertain, and Hannah was able to confirm through the acquisition of her medical records," to which Rhydian snorted because he knew she was skirting the legality of term "acquisition." Nonetheless, Dacia continued, "she was diagnosed with retrograde amnesia," her entire disposition transformed, her mood shifted to one of less confidence, her shoulders drooping, and her fingers wrapping against the dining table, "The memory loss appears to be permanent. She has no recollection of who she was prior to ten years ago," she finished quietly. As she looked up, Rhydian swore he saw for just a fraction of a second her eyes lined with tears but she blinked and they were gone. "I'm very sorry." It was said to the group, be she was looking at Rhydian as she gave her condolences.
"Permanent," Rhydian breathed as if someone had pierced his lung, a balloon slowly leaking the last of its air.
"Yes, I have already submitted a request to reopen the Smith case. We will find answers for what happened."
"And the Smiths? Her mum and dad, I mean," Shannon inquired, watching Rhydian slump back into the chair that Tom and Jana had righted in the knick of time.
"We've been unable to confirm their whereabouts at this time."
"But we are searching," Hannah added, who for the most part blended into the background.
"Amnesia," Rhydian reiterated, leaning back in his seat, ignorant to the worried looks exchanged between the group.
"It obviously has to relate somehow wit' 'em goin' missin', yah." Tom said more as a statement than a question.
"That's what we suspect, yes," Dacia confirmed, glancing at Rhydian.
"How did you know to find us," Jana questioned, though her eyes were on Rhydian who for all intents purposes wasn't really paying attention.
"I instructed Hannah to install software that allowed me to keep an additional eye on you. Call it a hunch, shall we. Though, the excuse you gave, about a flood in your flat, was uncharacteristically flimsy," Dacia explained, her lips curling just the slightest into a small smile.
Jana shielded her eyes in embarrassment.
"Sorry," Hannah apologized again.
"It better I found out of your egregious insubordination than someone else, like Victoria Sweeney."
"Insubordination?" Jana yelped.
"You disobeyed explicit orders to avoid Rhydian Morris as he was considered both dangerous to our kind and himself: threat level Alpha."
"He's my friend!"
"I see," Agent Turner lamented, her tone matching that of a parent's disappointment in their child. Dacia sighed, surveying the group.
"Segolia - I mean, we, um, I - no, we. . . We thought it would be a good idea to team up. Help each other," Hannah piped up.
"Together?" Shannon perked up.
Rhydian had been listening but if asked, he couldn't answer a single question on anything said. Maddy had no clue who he was. She had no clue who she really was. Or did she? "Wolfblood. She's a wolfblood, doesn't she remember? I mean, how can she not? The moon . . ." he blurted out.
"I cannot answer that at this time. As I mentioned, Segolia will explore all avenues to understand her current condition and figure out what truly happened to the Smith family. Though, right now, we are in the early stages. Hannah is doing digging into Addie's finances and the people she is closest with." At this, Hannah smiled at them, but it faltered when her eyes landed on the blonde.
"It is clear I cannot dissuade you from pursuing this, so I am offering an olive branch to collaborate."
"I get it. This 'collaboration' isn't anything but a ruse to keep an eye on us; even though, I - we're the ones that found her," he sneered. At the mention of her, the look of terror as Maddy witnessed him wolf-out extinguished his ire.
"I understand you may interpret this as some form of deceit to control you, but I am truly trying to do what is best for everyone, while reducing the potential risks of having a rogue agent and her cohorts acting as vigilantes, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake." She took a long pause, "Look 'ere, I am trying to protect you lot. Believe it or not," Dacia huffed.
Maddy has absolutely no idea who I am, Rhydian thought. No wonder she was petrified by my changing - or my eyes! Something she use to always respond to with kindness . . . love. Rhydian's mind continued to spiral into what Maddy - Addie's - condition meant for him.
Coming to, he started when he found everyone staring. Clearing his throat, he nodded. "I think you couldn't ask for a better set of minds," Rhydian said, swallowing thickly.
Dacia narrowed her eyes, suspiciously. "Are you refusing my offer?"
"What are you doing?" Tom whispered, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to read his friend's intentions.
Rhydian solemnly nodded. "But, its not to make any more trouble for ya," he looked down at his hands, speckled with stains of dirt and blood from the night before. "I got what I wanted. Maddy is alive." At this he felt a well of tears threatening to fall. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a trembling breath, "That's all I really wanted." As the words left his lips he could feel his heart pull apart and his inner wolf howl in protest. He slowly rose, his eyes boring into the grain of the wood dining table, refusing to look at anyone.
Part of him was stunned that not a single person made a pip about him declining Dacia's offer. And yet, that part was overshadowed by his relief they didn't.
Closing the door behind him, he side-stepped around the delivery guy, who was making haste toward the Okanawe residence with their food. Despite not having eaten in twenty-four hours, Rhydian had no appetite. He also had no direction.
A/N: Thank you reading. Stay safe and well. Please leave a review.