Savages

Author's Note

Thank you for picking up Savages! This book is number 2 in a series, and will be infinitely more enjoyable if you read the first volume, Wildlings, first.

You can find Wildlings on my profile. Go! Go read it! It's full of adventure and romance and drama and fun!

If you're sure you don't want to read Wildlings first (whaaat why), there's a synopsis of the plot below, so you have an idea what the heck is going on when this story starts.

Be warned though! It would be much more fun if you just read Wildlings first.

Do it. Dooooooo iiiiiiit.

The story so far:

Seventeen year old Sannah MaVae and her fifteen year old sister Judit have had a bitch of a year. First their mum, Clera, is arrested and imprisoned over an old charge the sisters knew nothing about. Then Clera's boyfriend, Laine, dumps them at Birchwood Security School, a low quality boarding school run by a prison company.

For studious Sannah, top of her class and on course to win a scholarship to prestigious Sherbourne University, it's a huge blow. This is made even worse when Judit's unusual ginger hair attracts the negative attention of the other students, and the younger girl is hospitalised.

Sannah decides to complete her university application in spite of their difficult new circumstances. Unfortunately, her application draws the attention of a group of elite Sherbourne scientists, who note that she is a potential carrier of the rare MC1R gene.

The scientists at Sherbourne are conducting an experiment in rewilding in Caledia, in the far North of Albia, which involves recreating an ancient forest full of formerly extinct animals. As part of this, they are looking for young people with the recessive MC1R gene, which suggests they are descended from the Native tribe that historically lived in this wild environment.

Sannah turns out not to be a full genetic match—but Judit is. With permission from their absent mother, Judit is taken by the scientists to live in the forest as part of the recreated tribe.

Here, she meets an unusual cast of characters, from the eccentric scientists running the programme to the other red-headed teenage descendants of the Natives who will be living wild with her.

It isn't long before Judit realises that life in the wilderness curtails many of her freedoms—including the freedom to choose a boyfriend. The scientists plan to breed the redheads, and they've been matched up according to genetic compatibility.

Judit finds herself paired with the argumentative and difficult Gaen, who makes no secret of the fact he is not happy with the match. Sparks fly as the two are forced to live together deep in the forest.

To make matters worse, Judit finds herself irresistibly drawn to Rama, a twenty-something scientist training the teenagers for life in the wild. In the face of the scorn of the other students, who think she is the victim of a foolish schoolgirl crush, Judit is convinced the teacher has feelings for her too.

Meanwhile, Sannah knows nothing of Judit's fate since she has been taken by the scientists. Afraid her sister is in danger, she decides to run away from school and attempt to save her.

On her way to find Judit, Sannah is robbed, and loses her life savings. With no money and no hope—and in the knowledge that a return to school will mean house arrest, and no chance of ever finding her sister—Sannah finds herself hooking up with local bad-boy and small-time crook, the irresistibly attractive Saint.

Thrust into the underworld of local criminals and drug-dealers by her association with Saint, the formerly shy, studious Sannah finds herself doing things she'd never thought she was capable of in her desperate quest to find Judit.

Eventually, Saint and Sannah make their way to Caledia, where Judit is being kept. There, they meet Brock, the secret boyfriend of Lintie, one of the other Native teenagers, and together, the group hatch a plan to escape.

Just before they leave, Sannah realises that Saint's criminal associates have been involved in human trafficking, and she saves three trafficked girls—Deera, Lulu and Pii—from their clutches.

Together, the sisters, Brock, the trafficked girls and five of the experiment's Natives sail to the remote, uninhabited island of Hirta, the last stronghold of the extinct original Natives, intent on starting a new life in the wild.

Characters introduced in Wildlings

THE HIRTANS

Sannah MaVae: The eldest MaVae sister. Eighteen years old. Sannah is intelligent and shy, but increasingly streetwise after her adventures with Saint.

Judit MaVae: Sixteen years old. Judit learned a lot during her time at Sherbourne, and fell in love with life in the wild, partly due to her close friendship with her teacher, Rama.

Gaen Cruithne: Nineteen years old. The best hunter in the group, skilled at living in the wild. Was paired with Judit in the Caledian experiment.

Merle Cruithne: Sixteen years old. The younger sister of Gaen, similar in fiery temperament. Also skilled at living in the wild.

Lintie Gartnait: Eighteen years old. Gentle and kind. Part of the Caledia experiment with Judit, Gaen and Merle. The girlfriend of Brock, best friend of Hegri.

Jadrun "Jaddy" Burnside: Nineteen years old. Part of the Caledia experiment. Alongside Judit, Jadrun is the only member who didn't know the other teens before the experiment began. Paired with Merle in Caledia. The two did not get on.

Hegri Galan: Seventeen years old. Part of the Caledia experiment with Judit, Gaen, Merle and Lintie. Best friends with Lintie.

Brock Bridei: Twenty years old. The cousin of Gaen and Merle and boyfriend of Lintie. Owner of the boat that sails the group to freedom.

Deera Ture: Nineteen years old. Originally from Tvena, she escaped traffickers in Albia.

Lulu Akoli: Seventeen years old. Also from Tvena. Escaped traffickers with Deera and Pii.

Pii Kimbro: Twelve years old. The baby of the group. Escaped traffickers with Lulu and Deera.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Saint Breckon: Twenty one years old. Small time crook and urban street artist with a bad reputation and a dark past.

Rama Coale: Twenty eight years old. Talented Sherbourne scientist and teacher of the teens on the rewilding programme.

Dierdra Matilaba: Twenty nine years old. Professional exotic dancer/stripper. Girlfriend of Faro and mother to Stokeley.

Faro Oriar: Twenty five years old. Activist and social justice campaigner, boyfriend of Dierdra, father of Stokeley.

Stokeley Oriar: Dierdra and Faro's four year old son.

Andrey Wilson-Vincent: Fifty five years old. A dangerous man. Criminal and human trafficker.