Chapter 8

Maddy landed with a small thud inside the modest bedroom of Ms. Dupree's split-level home. The assertive coach had not returned in weeks, and when Maddy inquired with one of the faculty or administrative staff, they provided the same generic response. Family emergency. No expected return date, no further details. It felt as if they were trying to sweep her existence under the rug. Maddy sniffed the air in the room looking for signs of someone having been there recently. Nothing. Like her persona at school, Ms. Dupree's home life was just as much dedicated to sports and winning. Neatly and evenly hanging on each wall was a motivational poster with an athlete persevering over some type of unimaginable challenge. Maddy looked around the room, noticing it hadn't been touched for some time. A light film of dust laid on the furniture. For someone who had to leave for a "family emergency" and would be knowingly gone for a while, she packed awfully light. Maddy didn't spot any empty hangers but two, one for each part of her pantsuit. She closed the sliding closet door, careful to leave things as she had found them. She spotted the dresser littered with different sport paraphernalia: braces, sweat bands, and hair ties. Moonlight leaked into the opened window, a twinkle catching the Wolfblood's attention. Maddy stepped closer, carefully picking up the item. It was a necklace; the pendant, dangling from the white-gold chain, had a smooth round edge. A small wolf stood proudly within the concave part of the crescent moon howling for its mate; carved into the upper part of the crescent moon was the outline of wolf. Her heart ached as she ran her fingers over the pendant. Two wolves howling at the moon, calling to each other. Just as quickly as the memory of Rhydian bubbled up, it fizzled out as the calling of her name brought her focus away from the trinket and to the outside. Maddy pocketed the jewelry, jogging across the room and peering out the window.

Her arms stretched above her head, Ling's panicky voice called again, "A little assistance would be most appreciated right now." Maddy leaned out the window and grabbed hold of the Asian girl's proffered hands. With a little grunting and groaning, Maddy pulled Ling through the window, both girls landing into pile on the blue carpet floor. Outside, the sound of two metal trashcans and some boxes toppling over made a loud clattering sound. There was a moment of absolute silence as Maddy and Ling waited to see if anyone would come to investigate the ruckus, but nothing of the sort. Just like school, no one in that neighborhood was interested in Ms. Dupree's whereabouts. "What took you so long?"

Maddy pulled from her pocket the necklace. "I found this."

Both girls still seated on the lush blue carpet, Ling leaned in to see better. "What is it?" she asked, letting the pendant rest in her hands for further inspection.

"I think it belonged to a Wolfblood." Maddy pulled it back and let it fall into her open palm. She rubbed her thumb over it, completely entranced by it. So intrigued by the jewelry, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Ling clasped her hand on her shoulder, and pointed to the door. Maddy heard the long creak of floorboards under a person's weight.

"Someone's here," Ling whispered. In spite of her best efforts, the fear she felt leaked into her words. "You swore it was abandoned." Ling started to shrink back towards to the window. "I told you this was a horrible idea." Maddy knew she could make the leap from the second story floor, but Ling may hurt herself if she tried to do the same. Ling whimpered as another groan from the floor boards, now much closer, was heard. Maddy wasn't sure where she had gone wrong, she didn't smell anyone as she walked the property. She had been scouting the deserted home for weeks. While Ms. Dupree lived in a cozy development that was a failed attempt at bringing more people to the quiet village of Tall Skies, her house was the last one on a dead end street and backed against the woods that rested at the base between Grizzly Mountain and Elk Ridge.

"I need to know why she left. You agreed that understanding our enemy would allow us to be better prepared for whatever she had in mind. Now, just try and remain clam." Maddy bared her teeth, growling as fair warning to the intruder. Second guessing her decision to come, she waited, her nails growing in anticipation. Arching her back, she crouched down, ready to pounce to whomever entered.

"I take what I said back." Ling bobbed back and forth, trying to find a way out. "What are you doing?" She watched the Wolfblood relax and stand. From around the corner appeared Davin.

"What are you doing here?" Maddy demanded.

Davin sniffed the air again. "You promised to meet with Mahkah. I came here to make sure you honor your word."Davin's searched the room both reviled and in curiosity.

Maddy's jaw dropped in offense. On the one hand, she was angry that Davin had been tracking her, and on the other, she was relieved that it was Davin lurking in the house and not Ms. Dupree. "How did you get in?"

"The door lock was broken. This human is filthy." She elaborated, seeing Maddy and Ling looked at her confused, "The bottom rooms are not kept. Her belongings are all over, and she has left much food out to rot."

Maddy pushed passed Davin and raced down stairs. Just as Davin had said, the bottom floor was completely "not kept." It looked like someone had tossed the place. The furniture had suffered the most, stuffing spilling from the ripped cushions. Maddy lifted her foot to see the imprint the soles of her boots made in the dirt of a fallen planter. She grabbed a handful of the dirt and rubbed it between her fingers, noticing how dry it felt. She brushed the potting soil off her hands, noticing the rich dirt staining her skin. Maddy made a noise of disgust and rubbed her hands on her faded black jeans. No good, the soot held to her skin. Acquiescing to the fact, she couldn't get her hands cleaner, she moved on. Creeping into the living room, she first noticed the smashed TV. Little piles of Ms. Dupree's things were left all over floor from where someone had emptied draws and shelves. Maddy worked through the mess and walked into the kitchen to find a similar scene. Draws had been pulled out and left open. Different cutlery and dishes decorated the vinyl checkered floor. Food had been left out; it looked to be ingredients that were being used for a meal. The vegetables had spoiled, the asparagus on the cutting board had turned into wilted stems, and the mashed potatoes still sitting in the strainer were browning, white fuzz growing between the crevices. On a whim, Maddy opened the stove to find a bone-in ham forsaken in a pan with some type of congealed gravy cemented to the bottom. Whoever was here, knew to turn the stove off. No one puts the meat in before pre-heating the oven. That's stupid and inefficient use of time, Maddy thought, knowing Ms. Dupree well-enough to know she wouldn't do that.

"This place is a mess." Ling was trying to absorb as much of the chaos as possible. There was a heavy silence that fell between the girls as Maddy and Ling tip-toed around the space. "Careful," Maddy warned the Asian girl, pointing to knives scattered on the floor. Maddy stepped on a red folder that had the Lady Moose mascot on the front. She picked up the folder expecting the contents to be none other than plays routes and statistics of the other lacrosse teams. Opening up the thick folder, she dropped the contents on the floor, letting the papers fan out.

"Maddy!" Ling hissed, hurriedly heading her way. She bent down and began picking up the papers, but abruptly stopped with organizing the material as she recognized a pattern. The Asian girl slowly rose to her feet. Ling found a relatively clear spot on the dining table and laid the papers down. Quickly sifting through the compiled sheets, she fanned them out for both girls to look over. "Maddy," she said more quietly, "she was watching you." Ling pointed to some pictures the local journalist had published of the team, and older articles that had Maddy pictured in them. Each picture had a small circle from a red marker traced around Maddy. Scrawled in the margins were notes, but neither girl could determine what the notes said. The handwriting was too muddled to make any sense of it. Ling pulled out some more papers from the stack. It appeared to be photocopies of school incident reports, and some searches done on the Smith family.

"Who is she?" Maddy asked out loud, holding up an article clipping of the team with Ms. Dupree standing behind Maddy, a big smile on her face. It was the day they won the championship. Davin who crept closer, peered at the pictures, trying to understand what had her fellow Wolfblood all worked up. Maddy felt her hair stand on the back of her neck. Both Wolfbloods looked to the front of the house. Heavy footsteps approached; seconds later a loud knocking was heard.

It was an officer by the authoritative tone in his voice, and the way he repeated certain jargon, which would only be known by those initiated into the force. He must have been alerted by a neighbor; perhaps, they were not as discreet as she had wished. Maddy already had an unpleasant run in with the local police, she wasn't looking to repeat the experience.

"What do we do?" Ling whispered. Maddy could hear Ling's heartbeat pick up with each passing second. She took a moment to work through all their options. They couldn't leave through the front door and with the trash cans unavailable, Ling could hurt herself jumping from the second floor. That left the back door, but surely the cop would see them trying to exit that way too. Unless . . .

"We need a distraction." Maddy looked at Davin. "You need to leave by the second story bedroom window. Davin tilted her head, confused. "The bedroom is the room we were just in upstairs," she clarified, pointing to the ceiling. "You lead them away, and Ling and I will be able to escape from the back."

"No! You are to come with me to meet Mahkah." Davin started to snarl at Maddy, in evident disagreement of the plan. The officer banged violently on the other side of the door. Soon more voices could be heard. Time was running out. The situation had escalated enough for the first police officer to call backup.

"I will meet you at your territory's edge. I promise." Maddy could hear someone call for the battering ram. "Please, I must get Ling to safety."

"Okay, Tame. Save the Natural. But, know a Wolblood's word is held at its highest. You will regret breaking it. Base of the mountain. I will see you soon." Davin sprinted up the stairs and soon Maddy and Ling could hear the officers yelling to follow Davin. Maddy felt confident that Davin could easily lose the officers. She breathed a sigh of relief, but the moment was short lived. Two officers remained and were adamant about entering the home.

"We have to go!" Maddy pulled Ling toward the kitchen back door. Just as she had her hand on the door knob, Ling pulled the Wolfblood away.

"Maddy, your hands!" Maddy looked at the door knob, immediately spotting the black residue the potting soil left behind. A horrific thought raced through her mind, what else had she has touched? Maddy gulped and pulled her checker flannel sleeves over her hands, feverishly wiping the door knob. After another attempt by the two officers outside, the front door exploded open. With no more time to wait, she tugged Ling with her through the back door and into the woods that lined the property.

Maddy and Ling ran for several minutes, before coming to a stop. "If you continue to head straight you will run into the walking path that leads back to the park outside your development. Might be about twenty minutes walking." Maddy pointed in the direction that Ling needed to continue. Maddy was anxious to meet with Davin; the knot in her stomach growing with each passing second. What if they find more prints? The thought haunted her.

"Where are you going?" the tinge in her voice was more reprimanding then questioning. Ling knew where Maddy was going. She was there when Maddy had agreed to meet Davin. Somehow, asking the question to the obvious made it feel less certain.

"I need to meet Davin." Maddy raised her hand up to keep Ling from cutting her off. "If I don't go, it will only cause more trouble." Maddy sniffed the air, relieved that no one had followed them.

"What about your parents? They wouldn't like this, at all. Those wild Wolfbloods nearly killed you. She could be lying to you; feigning ambivalence and leading you into an ambush. I should . . . should come." Ling pulled at her scarf nervously and cleared her throat. She was still gasping for air, not conditioned to running at fast speeds for long distances.

Maddy was touched by her friend's bravery and desire to keep her safe, but something inside Maddy told her she was okay to trust Davin. "I'll be fine. Mahkah saved me. I don't think this is a trap."

"Be careful, Maddy," Ling sighed, resigning. She patted the Wolfblood on the shoulder as she moved passed her and began walking home the way Maddy had indicated. Maddy watched her friend for a while and then turned and raced to meet Davin.

-Wolfblood-

Maddy trotted to a stop letting the warmth of her breath float to the heavens. She felt the tingle of perspiration drying in the cold. She inhaled and then exhaled to calm herself, taking in some small sniffs of air. Davin was here. She smelt her. "I'm here. Don't think you're going to scare me."

Maddy waited, her heart beating faster. She knew Davin was trying to frighten her, make her feel weak, like a cub. Just as expected, Davin hopped down from a tall tree limb behind Maddy. Maddy spun around, her lips curled in a growl. "Tames are so easily riled," Davin chortled, bumping Maddy's shoulder roughly.

"You said Mahkah wanted to see me." Maddy's fingers twitched, itching for a sudden need to defend herself. While she trusted Mahkah, she couldn't get a read on Davin. Davin nodded, her matted hair moving slightly. She changed into her wolf-form, dashing off further into the woods. Maddy took one last look around, then changed as well and followed her.

Maddy slowed down as she was led to a small camp. Davin had transformed back into her human form, moving with purpose through the temporary settlement. It was like nothing Maddy had seen before. There were tents that were of different sizes, made of a variety of animal fur. They formed a half circle, acting like a barrier from the bracing winds. Inside the formation there were different areas clearly dedicated to certain activities. Maddy could see a preparation area where it appeared a kill would be prepared for eating and maybe the fur removed for clothing. A little to the right skins were drying and tools laid out for the cleaning. She could see a station for managing fruits and vegetables, though she wasn't sure how they came upon them as it was too cold to farm. Maddy saw a group of mothers washing clothing and playing with their cubs. Maddy smiled as one mother lifted her young cub to his feet, encouraging him to try walking again. Maddy's senses were overwhelmed. Then she spotted him. A tall, muscular blonde. He had piercing blue eyes and was prowling the outskirts of the camp. Maddy was drawn to the young man that was gathering wood and seemed to be watching as others began taking meat from the fresh kill. Maddy began making her way toward the lonely man when a long howl caught her attention. There was cheering coming from a circle on the far left toward the base of the camp away from the tents. When Maddy looked back, the young man was gone.

It was then, she had realized Davin was nowhere to be found either. Finding her scent, she followed it to where the crowd had gathered. Even dinner could not draw the Wolfbloods away. Hearing more yelling and snarling, Maddy slowly descended down the small hill the camp was perched on and towards the circle. So consumed by what was happening within the ring, no one seemed to care Maddy, an outsider, was there. Finding a small hole to fill and better see what was happening, she was baffled by the sight. Two Wolfbloods, rather young - perhaps her age – were tussling on the ground. A silver-backed rose, hoping up and down on his back legs, encouraging the other to attack him. Different spectators were cheering and throwing pieces of advice to the contenders. Maddy couldn't believe they were letting them battle, two Wolfbloods in their own pack. The snarling and growling made it clear it was more than playful. She wanted it to stop, subconsciously inching closer to the log that was to keep intruders out. Before anything could be done, Maddy felt a hand push her forward. Losing her balance she tripped over the log and landed on all fours. Looking over her shoulder to identify the culprit – was Davin, a smug look on her face. It was the closest she had ever seen the girl come to smiling; of course, it was at Maddy's expense.

The youngest Smith's heart pounded, she didn't know the rules or what her entering the ring meant. Apparently, the other Wolfbloods were also confused each staring at her, whispering to each other. Maddy cautiously moved to her feet. She could feel her palms begin to sweat. Everyone staring at her, some clearly vexed by the disruption. Maddy slowly moved to leave when Mahkah entered the edge of the ring, the surrounding Wolfbloods making room for him. An older female, and the two young teens, who Maddy recognized from the chase at Elk Ridge, accompanied Mahkah.

Maddy started to garble her words, "I . . . I . . . didn't . . ." She could feel the cold earth that stained her pants, chill her to her bones. Maddy spun in circles looking for an opening and seeing more than two dozen eyes watching her every move, she turned back to face Mahkah. Looking back, Davin crossed her arms over her chest, grinning mischievously at her. Maddy furrowed her eyebrows, grimacing as Davin savored the poor position Maddy found herself in.

Mahkah was as collected as he was that last time they met. She watched the older female nod to her Alpha and enter the ring, the other two Wolfbloods leaving with heads bowed. The older female changed into a layered black and tan colored wolf, moving like tall grass in the wind as she shook and stretched. She barked, commanding Maddy to change. Maddy tucked away some loose strands of hair that had fallen in her face, understanding she had no other option. Crouching to the ground, Maddy changed as well. The two Wolfbloods circled each other. Maddy looked feverishly around for clues as to the rules, feeling the firm earth under the cold blanket of snow. She looked down momentarily at the paw print her steps made. Distracted, Maddy was knocked to the ground. Her milk chocolate brown fur wet and dirty as she slid across the dirt and snow. She climbed back to all fours and looked at the Wolfblood in front of her. The elder wolf stayed a little ways away, creating some distance between them, glancing back occasionally at the Alpha behind her for direction. A subtle nod from Mahkah and the fight continued.

Maddy evaded the next attack and the next, but playing defense was exhausting. Maddy lost her footing and was knocked over again. She was nipped on the very shoulder that had been injured months ago. The memory coming to the surface made the wound pulse. She whimpered and lifted her paw just the slightest. The barking and running, the barrage of bites came flooding back. She needed a way of escape and to make a run for civilization. Ling was right. I shouldn't have come, she thought to herself. If this was some type of gladiator fight, a dual to the death, Maddy knew she was out-classed. Wild Wolfbloods had better sparring skills than Tames as they relied on it for hunting and maintaining claim to their territories. Fortunately, Maddy found a small hole between two unsuspecting Wolfbloods to push through. The air grew thin and her chest tightened. The world fluttered in and out; she could suddenly see with better clarity. Wolfbloods looked shocked at something they had just witnessed and Mahkah nodding his head in agreement to something. She was seeing flashes of things to come. Maddy controlled the tempo, circling around until she knew she had a clear drive to run right through the gap. Patiently waiting, she dodged a few more attempts until the other Wolfblood began to become flustered with Maddy's non-compliance to attack.

Maddy met the Wolfblood in mid-air as her competitor lunged for her in a last stitch effort at vicory. Understanding the dynamic of the attack, Maddy positioned herself to upset the wolf's balance and watched her tumble several feet in a disoriented mess. Unsure of herself, the older female laid on her stomach as she shook her head free of debris and made and an attempt to understand what had happened. As a rolling gasp came upon the grounds like a thick fog, the spectators astonished the older Wild Wolfblood had been outsmarted by a Tame, Maddy seized the opportunity. She darted for the hole when she was suddenly stopped. "Enough," Mahkah commanded, watching Maddy slow down at his words. Her delay allowed the others to close off her escape route and trap her inside. Mahkah slowly nodded his head, having come to some important decision.

"I didn't come here to fight." Maddy kept herself hunched in preparation to have to defend herself. Maddy had returned to her human form, but kept on high alert.

"You are of no harm, come." He turned and a path cleared for her to follow.

She hesitated in following. "Go," came the warm, low voice of the older woman from behind her. "Follow him. He has wisdom to give you." Maddy pursed her lips, still contemplating if going after Mahkah was such a bright idea. Reluctantly, she jogged to catch up to the waiting alpha.

-Wolfblood-

They ran, just ran and ran. Maddy could feel the wind as it drifted through her fur. Mahkah was ahead, deftly leaping over fallen tree trunks, snaking through small patches of brush, and leaping from stone to stone through small streams. To the human eye, he was invisible in the growing darkness that night brought. Maddy hadn't run in a pack like this for a long time. It felt good to run, to follow, to feel the soft coolness that wet snow provided as her pads pressed into it. Each branch from the plentiful bushes combing their nimble fingers through her coat. She howled in jubilation as she landed, having cleared a resting, large, hollowed tree trunk. The peak of the crescent moon peered over the tall trees, checking if it was safe to come out from hiding.

Maddy clamored up to a small cliff's peak that Mahkah now stood in human form. He stared at the moon in silence. Maddy breathed heavily, it was a welcomed tiredness. She pulled some hair out of her face, and came beside the older man. He continued to stare into the vastness of the forest. The trees changed from hunter green to violet purples as the sun shied away and the moon took its post.

"My mate, Angei, is a skilled warrior." He finally turned to Maddy and placed a calloused hand on her shoulder. His amber colored eyes bored into hers, searching for something she wasn't sure she wanted found. "You knew. You knew before she did. You knew how she was going to attack."

Maddy choked on her own salvia. She stepped back, listening as the damp leaves rubbed against each other with each of her steps. Maddy pulled on her green pilot' coat. Her heart rate picked up as she felt her wolf begin to surge through her veins. Is he mad? Does he think I cheated? Did he guide me away to confront me? What if that was a sacrilegious thing to do? she thought, panicking.

"I am impressed. They have made an interesting selection." Maddy stopped moving away, and stared at the older man dumbfounded by his words. "I only question the youth they have sent down this path." He turned away from the last light the horizon provided and moved in parallel with Maddy. He continued passed her and tried to settle her nerves lowering himself on the hill that they were standing one, allowing her to look down at him. But she knew, she knew that he had the upper hand.

"Wait, what do you mean 'youth'? Whose 'them'? How did you know I could see her – I could see into the future?" Maddy curled her lip in skepticism and disgust that she felt exposed. Maddy pulled her hands from her pockets, on the verge of bolting down the mountainside and back to her cozy apartment with her parents. Snow, as if the sky was dropping little pieces of white tissue paper from the sky, fell to the ground. It was a sight that was rare in spite of how common snow was in those parts of Canada. To be standing in the night, in the middle of the dense forest, it was her dream . . . though someone was missing. Still, with all the nights she had of transforming in the northern most part of North America, it never snowed like this. So brilliant was the white of the snowflakes they sparkled against the night sky.

"I've been watching you, Maddy," he said, unaffected by her questions. Maddy immediately understood this to be Davin. That is how Davin had known where she was today. Davin had been tracking her upon Mahkah's orders. "You surround yourself with hunters. I do not understand your ways, but I believe in the Great Alpha. The Great Alpha and his pack have set your course. It is not for me to challenge." Mahkah's face grew stern. "Even in the great plan, I am to protect my pack. And so I need to protect you. You must know in days time, the moon will turn inside out and so will you. Do not risk exposure to the humans. They will hunt you with no mercy."

"I don't understand. How do you mean I will turn inside out?"

Mahkah drew close again. "Your second sight is a rare gift and considered a blessing to those Alpha Wolfbloods to keep their pack safe. You are an alpha, Maddy. I just wonder . . . " He let his thought wonder out into the vast darkness of the sky. She wanted to know more. There had to be more. But as he stared at her, she accepted that he wasn't going to share anymore. "You will soon be trapped within your wolf during day's time. Stay hidden . . . you are welcome here. My pack to be called yours."

Did he just invite me into his wild pack?, her mind began to race through scenarios she hadn't dwelled on in months. Different situation she might encounter if she had joined Jana's pack when they first left Stonybridge. Maddy's shook her head, clearing her mind from the wild fantasy of living as a Wild Wolfblood. She wasn't ready to be more than a teenager – and she couldn't think clear enough to determine if moving to the wild was the right decision after all. "I need to go home. I-I need to warn my family. I need to speak with them."

Mahkah looked shocked by the declination, but nodded. "I understand. Please do not feel you are made to be within our pack. But I leave the offer to help you with your gift. " Maddy paled at his words. She didn't want help to control this ability. She was afraid of it, the intense feelings of the earth and life mixing were too much. She really wanted it just to go away. She wanted normal, not super-human.

-Wolfblood-

"Yeah, Ling, I know. It will be highly suspicious, not to mention, we could not regain those identities back if we runaway to the wild. But, it would solve the issue of not knowing Ms. Dupree's whereabouts or her plans." Maddy was wearing a light blue tank underneath a dark blue one. She pulled at the draw strings of her checkered flannel pajama pants and quickly glanced at the door expecting her parents to barge in wanting her in bed sleeping. "Listen, I need to get going before I wake up my parents. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

She hit the 'end' key on her cell phone and turned it face down on the mahogany nightstand. Maddy pulled the heavy blanket over her and closed her eyes.

The air is heavy with smoke, the orange glow emitting from her left growing from some place dangerous. She can hear deep laughter coming from the shadow just in front of her. The voice is familiar but Maddy can't place it. Darkness is creeping closer, its spindly shadow tentacles yearning to take hold of her. Howls and whimpers are heard coming from behind her. She coughing, her chest convulsing as oxygen becomes sparse. She snorts to clear her nostrils from the soot being created. Fire! Fire coming from behind and below. Before she can fully make sense of her surroundings, she breathing in air saturated in salt. Maddy could taste the tainted air, but it wasn't the only thing impure. The soot lingers in her lungs, and she can feel the Darkness following her. And then . . . a figure lay ahead, extenuated by grey smoke. Maddy's slipping, the wood floorboards suddenly tilting, forcing the Wolfblood to collide with the heated metal wall. Wildlife is chattering just outside what is going on. A shrill scream cuts through her like knife, "Maddy!"

Maddy shot up into a sitting position. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked around desperately for a sense of recognition. Her messy bedroom was as still and plain as the night itself. Looking down at her digital clock, it glowed three o'clock in the morning. Maddy slumped forward, laying her head in her awaiting hands, a tumultuous sea of wild thoughts dancing in her mind. Where had she been? What was burning? Who was the figure and where were the cries coming from? They sounded like Wolfbloods. So many questions, but the only thing that wasn't an uncertainty was the screaming of her name. It was Ling and she was in trouble.

-End Chapter 8

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