𝑷𝑨𝑷𝑬𝑹 𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 • 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧. 𝐦 (wolfblood)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨

After a content walk back to the old farmhouse, the two arrived at the doorstep. Clicking open the door, Lia walked in to find everyone sitting around the table and breakfast being served.

Rhydian followed after her, looking awkwardly up at the group. Emma sighed, nodding over to a seat at the end of the table with a tight-lipped smile. He gave the woman a little smile back before sitting down in his seat. Lia sat to the left of him on the same row as Maddy and Shannon, watching as Tom helped Emma finish serving the last of the food.

When they were all seated, Lia spoke up, "Right. How are we going to fix this?"

"We'll make some calls," Dan informed everyone, "Social Services, the Vaughans-"

He was cut off when Rhydian sat up a little straighter in his seat, his eyes and tone laced with urgency and worry, "Y-you can't tell Social Services I'm back, they'll send me to a home!"

Dan patted the boy's arm to reassure him, "There are people we can go to. Wolfbloods in positions of authority that can solve problems the rest of us can't." He explained. This seemed to reassure the boy as his muscles relaxed, a wave of relief washing over him.

"Cool! It's like wolfblood mafia!" Tom exclaimed a little bit too enthusiastically from the other end of the table. Shannon scowled at him, knowing that it probably wasn't the best time to make that enthusiastic interlude on the conversation, "Tom, stop it." She warned.

The corner of Lia's mouth twitched into a smile as Tom folded his arms and pouted, like a small child being told off by his mother. She had to agree though, with wolfbloods in high places of authority, it made the species much more able to live in cities and, more importantly, live peacefully among humans like they belonged. It was kind of cool.

"First thing, let's get you two home so you can change for school." Emma pointed out, looking at Tom and Shannon.

"Well, have fun in double physics!" Lia said to her friends with a wide grin, getting comfortable in her chair and giving Maddy a high five under the table. Emma turned to the girls, "And what makes you think that you two aren't going?"

Tom and Shannon jeered at this while Maddy and Lia's smiles dropped, only to resurface slightly as their two human friends teased them profoundly. The redhead lifted her fork from beside her plate and took a mouthful of food, suddenly realising how hungry she had gotten overnight. Once they had all finished eating, Emma rushed the two girls upstairs to get changed for school while Dan drove Tom and Shannon home.

Lia grumbled to herself as she walked down the stairs, now fully dressed in her uniform, wrestling her auburn locks into a braid as she did so. Rhydian watched from where he was stood by the sink as the girl fumbled around with the messy rack of shoes, trying to find her usual black boots. She groaned to herself and stood up to shout up the stairs, "Mads!"

"What?" The brunette's voice called back.

"What the hell have you done with my shoes?" She bellowed. 

She heard a loud sigh, some thuds and bumps from upstairs, a door opening, and then two shoes flying towards her. Due to her quick reflexes, Lia caught them before they hit her, muttering a sarcastic comment under her breath. A smile of amusement made its way onto the blonde boy's face as he listened to the conflict happening behind him while he washed up the last of the dishes. As strange as it sounded, he had missed this. Being at the Smith's house, watching the family playfully argue and laugh together. He missed how it felt to be surrounded by that. Surrounded by nothing but goodness and a gracious feeling of solidity.

The back door clicked open and Emma walked in, hanging her coat up before walking into the kitchen and calling out to her daughters, "You two better hurry up if you want a lift! You've definitely missed the bus now!"