Wolf Girl (Book 4)

Chapter 1: Carys

Carys' POV

Today is the day I've been waiting for. After months of being apart, Jana is finally coming home. She's only visiting, but still, I can't wait. She left for the city at the end of last summer. And Shannon got into Oxford two years early, she's living in a small flat – paid for by segolia – with Tom, he's taking a gap year before he decides what he wants to do next, all he knows is he wants to play football. Maddy's parents moved out of their house and went back to Canada, they loved it there. Maddy and Rhydian have taken jobs at Segolia as part of the Wolfblood Protection Agency. They're pretty much in charge of the whole county when it comes to wild Wolfbloods on our territory, which has become a pretty big job now that the secret's out. They live in Maddy's house. Everyone's off doing their own thing. Except for me.

I still live at home with my family, which I love. Sometimes I go out on a job with Maddy and Rhydian, but I'm not cut out for that every day. Since I finished my exams most of my time is spent working part-time at the Kafe. Katrina opened a new branch in the city, so even the K's are off getting on with their lives.

Okay, I'm beating around the bush. Jana lives with Katrina and works at the Kafe with her. I haven't spoken to her in a few weeks. Now that the secret's out I can't get through to her phone. I see her on TV all the time, in interviews and all that kind of stuff.

When the video came out, I was furious, we all were. And then she and her friends walked into a press conference in wolf form and transformed back right in front of the cameras. It was all over the news. I've always been quite traditional when it comes to keeping the secret, I just think it's safer for us. But Jana's always been the kind that wants us to live side by side with humans in peace, no lies, no secrets. Don't get me wrong, I hate lying more than anyone, but when it comes to this... I don't know, it's just different.

Most of the people in the village quickly figured out that we're Wolfbloods too, but no one seems to be that bothered about it anymore. At first, everyone would scream and run when they saw us, but as time went on, it became normal to have a Wolfblood sitting next to you at the bus stop or serving your coffee. We still get weird looks sometimes. Some people have been really interested in us, almost in awe. Like we're celebrities. I'm embarrassed to say I've actually signed a few autographs, but I drew the line when a kid asked me for a paw print.

But anyway, back to Jana. A lot happened between us last year.

Bryn came home from Segolia a few days after we got back from the wild, and we went back to finish the school year. Summer came, and things were great, but then September came, and none of us really went back to school for sixth form. I didn't have a choice because I did terribly on my exams so I didn't make the cut. The others got in, but Shannon was off to uni early, Tom wanted his gap year and Maddy and Rhydian just didn't want to go. As for Jana, she had received a letter from a woman named Imara, successor to Victoria Sweeney, requesting her help.

She started visiting this man, an old man. He was a Wolfblood, and something wasn't right with him. She helped him with what he needed, and then they offered her a full-time job. She didn't take the job right away. She came back to Stoneybridge after the old man died, and then she started to miss the city.

She'd befriended a few people too, a boy called TJ, Imara's son, another boy called Matei and his little sister Emilia, and Selina, the beautiful taekwondo queen who TJ has the hots for.  When Jana realised how useful she was to Segolia and how much her friends depended on her for guidance, it gave her a sense of purpose that she didn't have here, she couldn't turn it down. We promised we would stay in touch, and we did. Mostly.

She told me all about her new friends and her new life, and all the adventures they'd had. Then the texts and phone calls slowed down until one day they stopped. If it weren't for that video, we'd probably still be in touch. She tried to call me before the press conference, but I was too angry to talk to her.