Maddy.

I run through the forest like wind through the trees. The sun is shining down and the whole forest has a green glow about it. I'm so happy. No… excited?

Oh! no word seems good enough to explain. I found him! Oh he made it difficult alright but I did it… ok, maybe Shannon did it but still he's here. After so long of only receiving cryptic postcards from places I had never heard of I may actually see him.

It started about a month after he left. I received a postcard from a little town I can barely remember the name of now, and it simply said

It's not a cave, but it's not exactly the Ritz.

R

And I smiled all day, I knew he was safe and he must be happy if he was making jokes. However, I couldn't write back, there was no return address. I guess I should have expected this, I mean I guess I couldn't put on the envelope

'Big cave,

In unknown forest

Possibly Wales'

This carried on for 2 years. Little postcards now and then and sometimes on special occasions, like my birthday, a drawing. They made me smile but they also made it all the more harder for me to forget about him. To be honest I didn't want to. He was the first person who ever really got me. I mean tom and Shannon are amazing and so understanding but they don't know what it's like being a wolfblood. My parents on the other hand are experts on being wolfblood but have no idea about being a teenager. Rhydian was like the best of both worlds for me. I miss having someone I can talk to about anything.

Anyway, it's not long now until I'll be able to see him again. I hope he's happy to see me too. Oh god, what about if he's really happy and has forgotten all about me? What about if it's been so long and we don't get on anymore? What if he thinks like his family and hates me now, because I'm tame?

My breathing, which is already accelerated from running, speeds up and I start to feel dizzy. I slow down to a jog and then come to a gradual stop, placing my hands on a nearby tree I try and get my breath back.

I'm being ridiculous, of course he still likes me,otherwise why would he send me postcards? And we can't possibly have changed so much in 2 years that were not friends at all…right?

I start to feel calmer. My breathing is normal now and I feel more stable on my feet. I move slowly away from the tree and am about to start running in the direction Rhydian may be…. No is. When my inner wolf sends up a faint warning into my head.

I don't know what is wrong yet but I know something is putting my wolf on edge and that's never good. I look around at my surroundings in more detail. I study the trees and look around at the foliage and bushes at ground level, I even glance up at the sky but try as I might I don't notice anything out of the ordinary.

I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye and swirl round but it's just a tree moving in the wind. I feel daft and give off some nervous laughter. However, then I hear the crack of a branch breaking and even though I know it is probably just an animal I'm off like a shot. I guess being in the woods on my own for the past week has put me somewhat on edge.

I run for ages and after a few more hours the light in the forest starts to dim. I could change into wolf form and keep going; I am so close I just know it. But even wolfbloods get tried and I kinda want to have some strength for when I bump into ceri again. So reluctantly I slow my pace and start looking for somewhere to stay for the night.

I am deliberating between carrying on in search of a cave in case it rains or sleeping out in the open with my sleeping bag, when I get the funny feeling again. It's a tingly feeling on the back of my neck and I whip around trying to understand what's causing it. I feel watched and suddenly very vulnerable; I back up to the nearest tree.

Then the noises happen again. First slowly, a crack of a branch there and the rustle of a bush here, still quite enough that if my inner wolf wasn't anxious I might simply disregard it as noises of the night. It soon escalates. Instinct takes over and my teeth elongate and my eyes become sharper and I partially transform.

I heard a loud thump come from behind the tree I'm leaning on and I jump away as if scalded. I turn round quickly, looking frantically in search of the source of the noise but nothing is there. I start to back away slowly when a bush behind me starts rustling violently. I swirl around again and glare at it, but nothing happens. I let out a growl as I start getting frustrated at getting played with and hear laughter from above. My head shoots up and I catch the shape of a black blur moving with inhuman speed.

"Who's there?!" I try desperately to sound strong but know there is definitely fear in the words as well.

There is no response as I turn in a circle looking up at the higher branches of the trees.

I hear another laugh coming from my left and shoot a glance at it but only see the faint outline of a person before they recede into the shadows. Then the first laugh is joined by one on my right, then one behind me and soon I come to the conclusion I'm surrounded.

"Who are you?!" I shout desperately.

They just keep laughing at me. Hoping this is all one big nightmare I start to run in a random direction. I only get a few steps before I slam into something hard and fall back. I hit the ground and fall on my bum and look up expecting to see a tree I had missed in my haste.

But it wasn't a tree, it was a person. Or more specifically a boy about my age. He looked at me with a smug smirk on his ugly face and his hands on his hip in a threatening stance.

"This is our territory" he said aggressively, causing cheers to rise from his still hidden companions. He smiled then raised his hand quickly, and the cheers stopped. He then leaned in slightly.

"And trespassers must pay the price"

I had sat frozen in fear on the forest floor but now I started a frantic struggle to get back on my feet. I placed a hand on the floor to try and push myself up but his foot quickly stomped down on it.

I let out a scream as I heard a crunch and felt my fingers break. Although my scream was cut short by a swift kick to the side, which left me gasping for breathe. I lay on the floor on my back staring up at the sky; I tried to get up again but was pushed roughly back down by the ugly boy who was now kneeling next to me pushing my shoulders to the floors. I thrashed and growled but his grip never faltered. I felt all hope was lost until one of his friends called to him and his concentration dropped. In that split second I had an idea, I managed to twist my head and sink my already elongated teeth into one of his wrists.

He swore and his grip loosed. I lurched out of his grip and started to run. I even though I might have a chance before his hand circled around my wrist and yanked me back.

I turned back in time to see his fist coming straight towards my face. then the world faded to black.

Rhydian

The sun had set a while ago and the other hunters and I were getting ready to leave for the night. It was weird at first settling into pack life. I mean wild pack life. My first proper rack was with Maddy and her parents. I really should message her again soon. Although, you can probably guess how hard it is getting stamps, envelopes or a pen when you live in the middle of a forest and are constantly moving around.

I know ceri… I mean mum, doesn't want me to have anything to do with her. Most times I have to sneak out in the middle of the day when the rest of the pack is sleeping to mail the letters. To be honest I'm not sure why I do it. I mean for all I know

Tom and Shannon may have got to Maddy too late and she had already left. Or maybe they couldn't convince her massively over protective parents they could keep the secret. Either way means I'm risking ceri's wrath to send letters to an empty house.

I wish I knew for sure she was getting them. I wish she could reply. Hell, while I'm being completely unrealistic, I wish I could see her.

I sigh,

I hear a commotion from deep in the forest. It sounds like Kyle and his goons are shouting something and laughing. Mentally, I try and remember what job they were scheduled for tonight. Then the answer comes to me, border patrol. I stand up slowly from the log I had been sat on. We've been having some problems with a rogue wolfblood following us for a while now and from the sounds of it Kyle and his lot are celebrating. Either meaning they have found it and are needing assistance or they have captured it. Other wolfbloods by the fire turn in the direction they are approaching from. Soon they get close enough for my over average hearing to pick out the words they are saying.

"We got her! We got her!" shouted again and again. Followed by cheering and the occasional "trespasser's must pay"

It not long after this that I see them stumble into the clearing. Kyle himself a few metres in front marching right up to the alpha who is the only person remaining sat at the fire in the centre of the camp.

"I would like to report that Donavan, mark and I apprehended a wolfblood trespasser a mile into our borders on the east side. She is approximately 17 years old and resisted capture. We had to resort to more aggressive measure to bring her in for questioning and punishment. I believe she is the rogue that has been bothering us sir" he said all of this in a clear tone making sure the whole camp heard and bowed in respect to the alpha at the end.

I don't know what it was about Kyle but something has always made me wary of him.

Anyway, I didn't have long to contemplate the fact before Donavon and Mark emerged struggling to carry an unconscious girl.

I felt a sharp sense of recognition when she entered the clearing. It was like my wolf although dormant for the minute jerked to attention the moment I saw her. Although, I couldn't be sure as her face was facing the other way. I squinted at her and her body did look slightly familiarly. Then Donavan, who was walking backwards carrying her, tripped slightly on a raised root jostling the girl causing her face to lolled to the side facing me.

"Maddy" I breathed in shock.

I have never been so angry before. Ever. I was filled to the brim with an all consuming rage. Seeing her being handled like a sack of potatoes and the bruise on her face! I snapped. I semi changed in an instant and before I could think properly about my actions I had let out a ferocious growl and launched myself at a very surprised Donovan and mark.

I reached them within seconds. They hadn't even had time to fully face me before I grasped Donovan by the shoulder to spin him round and punch him in the stomach. Once he had doubled over coughing I linked my hands together and raised them above my head. I hit him square in the back and he went down, knocked out cold. I turned away from Donovan's still body and glared at mark still growling.

Mark in shock of what I had just done dropped Maddy and tried to back away slowly. He wasn't getting away, not after what he'd done. I approached him slowly. Predatory. He froze in fear and I grabbed the front of his t-shirt and using my body weight forced him to the ground. I then delivered one punch to the face breaking his nose in one fell swoop. Blood poured everywhere and I probably would have continued if Maddy hadn't left out a whimper.

I dropped Mark's shirt and quickly hurried to her side. I gazed at her assessing for injuries, but apart from the massive bruise on her cheekbone she looked fine. I found myself gazing at her face and finally my heart rate started to slow and I stopped seeing red.

She was ok, a little injured but she'd be fine in a few days. And now I was here so Donovan, Mark or anyone can't hurt her. I was just starting to calm down and think rationally. Unfortunately, this was the exact moment when Kyle decided he was going to sneak up on me. This caused my allusion of calm the shatter and I rounded on him placing myself between him and Maddy. I was on the floor crouching staring down the majority of my back. I stayed like this for 20 minutes completely ruled by instincts. It took awhile until I started to understand what the people around me were saying.

"Don't worry Rhydian were not going to hurt her" said one.

"Just let us see if Mark and Donovan are ok" pleaded another.

"Step away from her Rhydian," ordered the alpha with a stern look on his face.