𝑷𝑨𝑷𝑬𝑹 𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 • 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧. 𝐦 (wolfblood)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐧

.・。.・゜✭・.

.・。.・゜✭・.

"The question, 'What does family mean in the 21st century?' is one that our students have been exploring this term over a range of subject areas..."

I TOYED with the sentimental ring on my finger and quietly made my way into the auditorium. I looked around for my family, my eyes dashing from one place to another.

I froze. It seemed as though the further I walked, the louder it got. Everything seemed to be echoing. The booming voice of our head teacher, the whispers between family and friends. My breath quickened as my senses heightened.

I closed my eyes and tried to push out the buzz of voices in my head. I needed to calm down - my senses always heightened when I was nervous. But it was hard not to be fearful.

A thunder of claps echoed around the room and my hearing settled. I let out a sigh of relief and my hands dropped to my sides. Opening my eyes, I found myself facing Maddy, "Lia, hey. Where's Rhydian?"

"He went home. I don't think the topic is settling well with him." I replied, forcing my voice to come out clear.

"Ah," she replied knowingly. I glanced around the room skittishly and felt my heart beat faster. Her eyebrows knitted together, "Are you okay?"

I looked back at her. The concern was clear in her voice. I told Maddy everything. She was my other half. We never lied or hid anything from one another. But how could I tell her that I literally summoned light out of nowhere? I replaced my parted lips with a smile, "Yeah."

I couldn't tell her. Not yet, at least. I figured that the less people that knew, the better. I nodded towards her display where parents and teachers admired her work, "Looks like your the real star tonight, huh?"

She looked over at her display and her cheeks reddened at the sight. I chuckled at her reaction and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You've got a talent, Mads. It's about time people knew about it."

Mom and dad walked up to us, "Hey you pair. Where's Rhydian?"

"He um... had some issues with the topic." They both nodded in understanding. Mom spoke up, "Poor lad. We need to get him over more."

Maddy rolled her eyes and shifted the weight on her feet, "Mam! A couple of weeks ago he thought he was the only wolfblood in the world. Give him some time to adjust, will ya'?"

Mom walked forward, "Listen. Rhydian needs to be around his own kind. Pack animals don't do well on their own."

Her words couldn't have been more true. It was a miracle Rhydian had survived on his own for this long with no pack to look after him. The only protection he had ever had was himself and his own decisions, and considering what happened on his first day of school, it was surprising that he hadn't been discovered beforehand.