CHAPER FOUR
As we sat, warm and comfortable, wrapped around each other on the bench, the sun was slowly beginning to peep over the tree tops.
"This was what you had planned?" I smiled from my snug position tucked against his chest.
"Yes." He kissed the top of my head. "Though, technically, you kissed me first."
"Yer, I did, didn't I!" I smiled and turned my head, kissing his jaw up to his ear.
He laughed at me. "Your special too Maddy. That's why I came back."
"You couldn't resist, hay?" I mocked.
He gently eased me away from him to look me in the eyes. "The things that your Gran was saying the other night about 'destiny', she was right."
"You understood all that? I thought you had been quiet during that conversation. Did you know about Shannon and Tom too?"
"Yer, well, sort of, Mum guessed but I can't say I really believed her. Having said that it was a relief to see them the other night, I felt like I was in safe hands. I didn't really understand what Ellie was saying about the five of us though."
"No, neither did I, especially since there were seven of us in the room."
"You and I." he continued, "When Mum took me away from the pack she explained why she had come looking for me and why I was so important. My mum is the Alpha of her pack if you like, the head of it, all the wild wolfblood's respect and listen to her. What she says goes."
"Yer, so?" I questioned, "how many are in your pack? Did you find anything about your Dad?"
"No Maddy, my Dad is long gone. Male wild wolfblood's don't stay around like the females. Bryn once told me that Father's come and go, mothers stay, they were mostly like that, the ones that I met. But it's my Mum that's important. She is head of ALL the wild wolfblood's. Hundreds of them."
"Hundreds? My family too?"
"No. Your family are Tame. It's only the wild ones that honour her." He went on to explain, "Mum told me that hundreds and hundreds of years ago, when wolfblood's or werewolves were hunted, they banded together to prevent persecution. They all lived wild, well, humans lived pretty wild back then too. Eventually, as humans industrialised there was a split in the wolfblood's. Those who wanted to continue to live in the wild way and those who wanted to be more like the humans, the Tames. There was a leader of the wolfblood's was called Lyall who had two sons, Fillin and Marrok, Fillin and Marrok disagreed on how much Wolfblood's should integrate with the humans. They split the pack and the Wolfblood world. There was practically a war over it. Fillin believed that the wolfblood's should be free and wild and Marrok could see the advantages of living within the human world. They became the leaders of their respective packs. My mother is a direct descendent of Fillin."
Rhydian had spoken carefully, gently, this was a story he had prepared to tell me but it was had to take in, I was stunned into silence. This wasn't something I had heard in Mr. Jeffries history lessons. I knew that wolfblood's had a history of their own but I had never considered the details.
I hardly knew what to say next. "So Ceri is the pack leader. Like a Queen...?" I was thinking out loud.
"Yes. I suppose so."
"Then that makes you, as her eldest son, her heir."
"Yes."
"You'll lead the wild wolfblood's."
"Yes."
"Wow."
I was stunned into silence.
"Maddy, there is more."
More? What more.
Rhydian continued "Your Gran is a direct descendent of Marrok."
"I don't understand. What are you telling me?" There was a tremble in my voice.
"Maddy, one day you will be the leader of the Tame wolfblood's. Your Gran is now. That is why she has been travelling, she's been visiting Tame wolfblood's, keeping an eye on them. Making sure they are OK."
"Don't be daft. My Gran is not some sort of high and mighty wolfy leader..." My voice trailed off as I looked at Rhydian. He held my gaze steadily.
"That's not all, is it?" I could tell that there was more to come.
"No, there's more. The reason why Bryn went for you and not for me is that all he could see was you. Every time I used Eolas it was always you, my dreams were all you. I couldn't get you out of my head. It nearly drove me insane! Then Mum explained..."
Rhydian swallowed and looked me in the eyes.
"There's a prediction, that all wolfblood's will be united by two decedents of Fillin and Marrok. You and me, Maddy."
"But... but... my family has lived in our house for over 300 years...Surly I would know if I was related to wolfblood royalty?"
"Long time to stay put for a wolfblood Maddy, even a Tame. Your father's family had the house. They were loyal to the decedents of Marrok and so they have been protected, not had to move on so much, kept to the old ways, using a Keeper, occasionally a Witch."
"So Bryn is jealous because you fancy me?" I spat.
"Think about it Maddy, as far as Bryn and a lots of the other wild wolfblood's are concerned I have been effectively raised as a Tame, spent time with a Tame pack, the prediction says that I will join with a Tame to unite both packs. They think that we won't protect their wild way of life, that we will insist that they become Tame and integrate with the human world. I broke a promise to them that I wouldn't come back, I wouldn't spend time with the Tames but I just couldn't keep away. I had to find you again. See you. Be with you. Maddy, we are the future. We have a future together, a job to do to protect our way of life. To protect the Wolfblood's."
I threw the sleeping bag off and stood up, pacing backwards and forwards.
"This is just plain crazy." I shouted "You're telling me that because of some silly prediction I can't have my own life? That I have to take over the responsibility of leading every known wolfblood in the universe and ensuring their safety? That I am going to be with you no matter what!" I was flinging my arms about, pacing backwards and forwards, throwing a teenage hissy fit.
Rhydian looked really hurt. I could feel the tremble in my legs and fingers.
"I'm only telling you what I've been told Maddy and why I came back."
My eyes were changing, my teeth bared. I could feel my fingernails claw.
"Mads, NO! Bryn and Ceri are still out there." It was too late, I had changed.
As I turned I caught a glimpse of Rhydian stand and start to change too. I bounded for the low stone garden wall, clearing it and the ditch behind in a single leap.
A low groaning cry brought me up short. I had been off and running, as hard and as fast as I could towards the woods, but the noise coming from back in the garden pulled at me from deep inside.
I turned and leapt back into the garden. Rhydian had changed into a wolf and was now lying on the grass just in front of the seat. He whimpered with pain. His shoulder. He had tried to run on it and it wasn't healed properly yet. I changed back to my human body and covered the couple of paces between us, reaching out for him, down on my knees by his head.
He changed back too.
"Maddy" he whispered, "I'm sorry." Gasping for breath he was reaching for me too. I bent and kissed him.
I helped him up and we returned to the seat, our arms round each other as he cradled his arm tightly to him to protect his shoulder. We both sat down breathing hard.
"You came back" he finally said.
I was stunned. I never stopped running as a wolf until I was exhausted. I'd come back. I'd changed back. I'd come back to Rhydian.
I had calmed down a bit now. I was still freaked but calmer.
"Maddy, do you trust me?" asked Rhydian.
I laughed, "NO!"
"Maddy" he said, tuning my face towards him and looking deep into my eyes, "Please trust me."
He slowly moved his lips to mine and kissed me tenderly. He then gently kissed my forehead and then he moved his forehead to mine and closed his eyes.
I closed my eyes too.
Suddenly my head was filled with images; I gasped but didn't move away. Rhydian was showing me images of Ceri telling him what he had just told me, about the brothers Fillin and Marrok, the wolfblood heritage and the prediction.
Rhydian had been furious when Ceri had told him what his future held and the reasons why. He had changed into a wolf and run for miles and miles into the forest. He had lived alone and wild for days after they had talked.
Eventually he had returning to his pack. Frustrated and confused he had hoped to find answers but Ceri had made it clear that she didn't want him to return to me, that the wild wolfblood's thought that Rhydian was to Tame to lead them and they we would both try and turn them all Tame.
I could feel what he had felt. The shock and then the rage and anger. Finally the longing. To come back. Back to me.
Rhydian stroked the side of my face as he moved away from me. I opened my eyes and looked into his. He kissed me again gently.
Slowly the sun came up over the tops of the woods.
I could hear Mam walk down the stairs back in the cottage. She would be wondering where we were. We were both still on the bench tucked around each other, the sleeping bag pulled back over us, warm and comfortable. We weren't talking now. Rhydian had showed me his deepest thoughts and feelings and now we just sat peacefully.
I could hear Mam pottering around the kitchen, getting things out and starting to cook.
"We should go back in" I said, sitting up and stretching.
"Yep" He agreed.
As I opened the door, Mam looked up and smiled. "Hello you two, you feeling hungry? Thanks for the note Rhydian, I'd have been worried if I'd seen you both gone."
Rhydian was smiling sheepishly.
"Happy birthday Pet" said Mam, coming to give me a hug.
"Birthday?" questioned Rhydian.
"Ta Da!" I answered, "Sixteen today."
"Wow! Happy Birthday!" he pulled me into a one armed hug and planted a kiss on my cheek.
I blushed deeply again, glancing at my mother through my eyelashes, she raised an eyebrow at us both.
Gran had appeared at the bottom of the stairs and also wished me a happy birthday giving me a hug and kiss and again holding me at arms' length to examine me fully. She had a small knowing small on her face and nodded once.
Gran went and put on the kettle while Mam turned back to cooking a large full English breakfast. Dad meandered down the stairs rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Morning" he grunted.
"Presents on the table Pet" said Mam.
"Oh Mam, Thank you" I answered shyly, turning to see the gifts and cards on the kitchen table.
I sat down and opened the first gift from Gran. A small box containing square cut moonstone ring. "Oh Gran, it's beautiful, thank you so much" I said slipping the ring onto the middle finger of my right hand.
Then a couple of cards from family and friends.
Finally the larger present from my parents. It was a brand new laptop. I was blown away.
"Thank you so much" I gushed.
"We thought it might come in useful for doing your A-levels next term" said Mam pointedly.
So Mam knew about this prediction of what my future would hold and wasn't keen for it to happen anytime soon. The realisation hit me and I took a gasp of breath. Dad was looking at his feet, Gran was intently stirring her cup of tea. Did they both know too?
Rhydian had been sitting quietly next to me, he now whispered "I didn't get you anything"
"It's ok" I said under my breath, "your here". He quickly squeezed my hand under the table.
I was distracted. How would my parents feel about my future with Rhydian?
Mam dished out the full English breakfast.
Rhydian was managing to eat despite only really using one hand. The conversation was light and chatty, Gran asking Rhydian how he was feeling, Dad asking more about Gran's travels.
I had a tight feeling in my stomach, I pushed the food around my plate eating little.
"So" said Gran pointedly when Rhydian and my Dad had finished eating. "You've told her then?" she asked Rhydian.
"Yes, this morning" He answered. They had clearly had a conversation about this without my knowledge.
Mam suddenly couldn't stay silent any longer.
"We don't know that Rhydian is the one, all we know is that the prediction says that the 15th descendent of Marrok and the 15th descendent of Fillin unite the packs and bring an end to the war with the creation of a child. It doesn't mean it's Rhydian, he's barely wild, he's spent more time Tame than wild. Besides Maddy is far too young to think about that kind of future right now. It's all silliness anyway, just superstition." All this came out in a rush of words that Mam had clearly been bottling up for the last two days.
I leapt to my feet.
A child.
I turned on Rhydian, "A baby?!" I spat.
"Might not have mentioned that bit..." I heard Rhydian mutter as I headed out of the door.
No way. It was bad enough I was giving up my future to bring together two factions, a war Mam had called it, but a baby?! There was no way I was ready for that.
I ran as hard and fast as I could. Shannon's house. That was where I was heading.
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