Chapter 6: Rhydian

Carys and I walk back to Maddy's together, the others decided it's best if we go alone. Carys and I haven't really spoken that much since what happened with Kincaid, but that's mostly because she's been in the wild with the pack. I've been desperate to apologize again but there hasn't been a good moment yet. She's only been back five minutes.

She walks a little ahead of me the whole way there, I can't tell if it's because she's still mad at me, or if it's because she just wants to get this out of the way. God knows I want to. "You okay Carys?" We reach the house.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just wish none of this ever happened." I can't see her face, but I hear her sniffle. I catch up to her and stand right in front of her. She's crying, so I take her by the shoulders.

"Hey, it's going to be okay, you're strong, we're strong." I try to show her that we're in this together, that she's not alone, but she can't even look at me.

"Why are you being so nice? I thought you'd hate me, after all, she wouldn't be here if it weren't for me." She wipes her tears away.

Now's the right time. "No, no of course I don't hate you. We're part of the same pack, and I guess now we're family too. I'm so sorry for the way I treated you. I was just frustrated because of everything that happened. I took it out on you, and I really am sorry." She looks at me, I can see in her eyes how much she's hurting, and I don't know what I can do to help her.

"It's okay," she smiles at me. I embrace her in a hug, she grips to me like she never wants to let go, and she doesn't until we both smell something, someone; Ava. We turn to see her standing at the door of Maddy's house. We go inside and all sit in the living room. I'm the first to break the long awkward silence.

"So, Ava, what's your life like, you said you work for Segolia?" She's staring at Carys, who's looking down at her hands fiddling with the holes in her sleeves.

"Um yeah, I work in the offices in London, it's one of the largest in the country."

"Oh right, so you know other Wolfbloods then?" She nods and looks back at Carys. "How did you find out about it?"

"My foster parents were genetic scientists, when I first transformed, I was already out in the forest near where we lived. I was fourteen. When I came home and tried to explain what happened, they didn't believe me, so I got angry. As in, black veins, yellow eyes angry. They ran all kinds of tests on me, spoke to their other scientist friends. I was basically a living experiment growing up." She looks sad. I can tell that Carys is paying attention, but I can also tell she wants nothing more than to get out of here. She seems to have no intention of letting Ava in, and I get why. But I just don't think it's fair to shut her out.

"What are we gonna do then?" I bite the bullet.

"I want to get to know the two of you, I want to learn about my father." Carys closes her eyes and breathes deeply. "I want you both to come back to London with me." Carys shoots me a look.

"Um, I don't think that's the best idea, I've just settled back in with my foster family, and Carys can't come back yet. We can't leave our packs."

"Never mind that," Carys finally speaks up. "I don't want to live you; I don't care whether it's a good idea or not. I'm staying in the wild with Jana until I'm old enough not to be sent to a children's home." Carys shakes as she speaks, she seems so scared. Nothing at all like how brave she is when she's with Jana.

"It's not that simple," Ava says. "We're family. I've got a legal team at Segolia, I'm going to the courts and I'm getting custody of both of you." I can't believe what I'm hearing. Carys stands up.

"What?" She raises her voice. "I live in the wild, you and your legal team don't have any rights. I'm not going anywhere with you, why don't you get that? I've agreed to get to know you, isn't that enough?"

"Segolia have their ways, if your Wolfblood, your theirs. I know it sounds bad but we need each other. I just want a real family, a pack." Ava stands, so do I, I walk to Carys' side.

"And what about what we want? Don't we get a say? My life is here now, my foster parents, my girlfriend," I say calmly, fully away that there's a fire burning in Carys. "If you do anything, I'll get you sacked, we know people at Segolia too. You won't be allowed to care for two teenagers with no income."

"Carys, calm down, we can figure this out rationally." I stand in front of her trying to get her to look at me, but her eyes turn yellow as she stares at Ava. Her veins begin to pop out. I grab her arm. "Not here, not now. Breathe."

She yanks her arm away from me. "No Rhydian! I refuse to live in a poxy London apartment with some blonde bimbo who only cares about herself! I'm staying in the wild, they might not like me, but they respect me!" She yells.

"They don't respect you," Ava scoffs, "They keep things from you," she keeps a hushed tone.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" She turns to me. "I will not be pushed around by people like her anymore!" She shouts and storms out of the house. I know she'll be going to Jana, so I stay with Ava.

"I just want what's best for her, Rhydian, for both of you. If you choose to come with me, we can move closer to nature, out of the city. If you choose to come, maybe it'll change her mind. We won't have to go through all the legal stuff, it doesn't have to be difficult. Please, talk to her."

"No, I'm not leaving Maddy. I'd like to get to know you too, and I want us to be a part of each other's lives, but not like this, I'm not leaving everything I have, not again. I've left and returned too many times. I'm sorry." I walk out of the house and follow Carys' scent.

I feel bad for Ava, of course, I do, but she can't expect us both to drop everything and go to London. I have so much here, Maddy, the Vaughan's, my friends, even school. I have to do my exams and then sixth form before I can even think about going anywhere. And I learned from my short time in the wild that Stoneybridge is where I belong; I'd hate living anywhere but here.

As I follow Carys' scent, I realise it's not leading towards the Kafe where the others are, it's leading to the school. Her scent goes through the forest and onto the backfield. It's quite misty out, so it's hard to find her but I see her eventually. She's sat curled up in a ball right in the middle. I walk to her and sit down at her side.

"This is where everything was okay, this is where I had friends, a girlfriend, I was finally moving forward after mum. Before dad died, before the wild. It all felt sort of, normal. For the first time in my life. I can't be taken away, I know she'll keep trying to find a way to get to me, and you, even when I turn sixteen."

"We'll figure it out, Maddy's parents will help. They know people, other Wolfbloods in positions of authority, and there's everyone at Segolia, we have people on-" Suddenly, Carys grabs her head, almost as if she's in pain. "Carys?"

"No!" She screams at the top of her lungs. "Stop it! Why are you doing this to me?" I try to help her to her feet, but she's shaking so much I have to pick her up. I don't know what's happening to her, but I know need to get her out of here. Maybe this is what my instincts have been trying to warn me about.