Authors note: :O Thankyou SO MUCH for the faves/follows/comments; they encouraged me to write this chaper, which is dedicated to Wolf200, who Beta'd this, and who also writes Wolfblood fanfic, which I reccomend you read.

Back to the story. :D

Rhydian is sitting on the floor in his room, despairing of life in general. Mysterious cuts and bruises have been showing up for the past few days, but the ones on his face have only just shown up, while the Vaughans are asleep, thank the Moon. Though how he will explain them, he has little-to-no idea.

His adoptive parents are asleep, (his clock says it's four minutes to three in the morning, and he's not slept for days, as evidenced by the paleness in his face, and the darkness under his eyes; he has a sense that something important is happening, yet he's not sure what) so he is the only waking creature in his home. Well, it's not his home; it's the house in which he lives, yes, but not his home: Maddy isn't there.

Something catches his eye. It glints when he tilts his head to see it better. He ignores it. But it's shiny, reflecting the lamp-light. He tilts his head again, to the other side, but still ignores it. He remembers what it is. He sighs, more in sadness and desperate infuriation than irritation.

He flumps onto his stomach, and shuffles the short distance to his bed, reaching under.

There is a flat, polished pebble in his hand, about the size of his palm, painstakingly carven with two incredibly realistic images of their wolves, one on each side; the side he is looking at (his head, too, is under his bed) has an image of his wolf. He turns it over, slowly, almost painfully. The perfectly carven image of Maddys wolf on this side, the eyes once suggesting laughter, seems to be taunting him. I'm far away from you., he thinks, But as soon as I can, I promise - I swear - I'll find you, Madds.

He doesn't know of the Mate-Bond, he just knows of the void in his being, the hole in his emotion-heart, shaped like Maddy. He misses everything about her; the way her eyes gleamed when she smiled, the feel of her lips pressed against his, the sound of her howling her joy to the world. But most of all, he misses her. Her spirit, her... he has no word for it. Her essence, perhaps? That which makes Maddy, Maddy. Whatever it is called, he misses her.

Shannon and Tom had called around earlier, for lunch at Bernies. They bought with them news of their brand-new relationship, and stories of Maddy, which they assumed would make him feel, if not better, then like they were always there to talk. Eventually, they all had to leave for their respective houses, because Rhydians eyes were pleading with them to just stop, because they were making him hurt more, even without intending to.

He is thinking too much - Best go for a run, he decides. Parents won't know anything about it.

He gets out from under his bed, unconsciouly placing the wolf-stone in the pocket of his jeans, pulls out a jacket from the crumpled heap of laundry left on his floor, puts it on, and slips out the window, making about as much noise as a cat stalking prey.


There is no snow, on the trail where Rhydian runs, but plenty of frost, glimmering on the spiders webs, strung accross the trees like natures embroidery, in the light of the half-full moon. The frost softly crunches underfoot, floating in the air when disturbed, then falling to the ground with a soft pitter-patter.

Rhydian soon becomes aware of the intense cold - it must be about five in the morning, now, based on the position of the Moon amongst the stars - just how long has he been running for, trying to rid his mind of all thoughts of Maddy?

At this particular thought, he stumbles in his onward hurry, snagging his wrist on a small, cruelly sharp tree-branch on the way down. He examines the damage, then utters a curse. The glorified splinter is still in his wrist. He tugs it slightly; it's stuck, and he only worsens the laceration. He pulls it out, slowly, teeth grittted; but his hand slips, for it is shaking with cold, and he, while succeeding in removing the offending piece of tree, lenghtens the cut by another quarter inch. He swears once more, and decides to head for home, to get some antiseptic cream; Wolfbloods have a better immune system than humans, and heal faster, too, but this Wolfblood is not prepared to take the risk of a major infection.


Wrist bandaged with some toilet roll and Germolene, Rhydian procceeds to try and get some sleep, for the first time in days. Seemingly seconds later, though it has surely been an hour, at least, he is roused from his rest. A scent, drifting through his left-open window. A very familiar scent...

"Maddy!"

OOH CLIFHANGER.