Wolfblood- series 4- finding the cure

chapter one

When Rhydian turned up, I was amazed. At some points in my life, I thought he was never coming back for me, even though he promised. Tears were in my eyes when I saw him in Canada. He had been true to his word, but I was disappointed when I didn't see Tom and Shannon with him. I mean, I know they can't exactly run away, but they were my family back in Stoneybridge- they were my pack. I wanted to see Jana as well, but she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she didn't want to come and see me? I don't know. She might be back with her pack, but last time I heard, things were going too well in the wild.

'What's been happening back in Stoneybridge?' I ask Rhydian, as he climbs his way up the Canadian mountain, me and my family have been living on.

'Its been dangerous. At one point I was human, forever, but then Jana saved me. Anyway, don't worry. What's been happening up here?' He pulls me into a firm hug and whispers, 'I promised I'd come back, didn't I?"

I nod. I want to tell him to that every thing has been fine in Canada, but I can't escape from telling him the truth. I know he has a right to know, now that he'll be living with my family.

'I...my...mam got chest  cancer a while back. She's really ill. The company, Segolia, are trying every thing they can for her, but she won't live for much longer'.

I feel tears running down my cheeks. Everything is going more quickly than my emotions. I just want everything to calm down, and slow down. It's seems like it was only yesterday when I was at Bradlington high, with Tom and Shannon and Rhydian.

'Oh my God Mad's! This is awful!' Rhydian looks down at his shoes, shaking his head. 'I should have run away with you and your family, Maddy. I should have been there for you. I was so so selfish!"

I know he is regretting what happened, and I want to stop him feeling bad. We both know that the only reason he stayed behind was to protect me and my family. If he had run away too, the police would have thought it was a man hunt, and then everyone would be looking for us. It was for the best the Rhydian stayed behind.

'Look, Rhyd. It wasn't your fault that you stayed behind. You were trying to do what was best for me and my family. We all want you back. Even my mam.' I say, as I reach out a hand to him, 'we want you back in our pack!'

'Really?' he asks. He drops his heavy looking backpack without a care in the world, and he howls in pure excitement.

'Really,' I say, 'let's go and see my parents!'

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'How are you, Mrs Smith?' asks Rhydian as he carefully treads around my mams room. She lies in bed with her eyes leaking with tears. I feel so bad, like there was something I could do but I wasn't doing it. I call for dad he arrives seconds later with a smile on his face, despite the current situation. He seems pleased to see Rhydian. My dad and him were close from the very beginning. They both had something in common, and they seemed to get on like a house on fire.

'Its nice to see you again Rhydian!' he beams as he comes in the room with a glass of water for mam. You can see he's worried about her, but he tries his best not to show it too much.

'Nice to see you too Mr Smith!' Rhydian replies, 'what have you been doing for full moons since you left Stoneybridge?'

I feel annoyed that he's not fussing over mam, for some reason. Mam did a lot for him, when he was a lone wolf in trouble, taking him into her pack, and now he doesn't even seem bothered about her! What cheek!

'We haven't been doing much, to he honest, pet,' mam explains though tired breaths, 'a week after we left Stoneybridge, I got this...disease!' She sighed.

I know mam feels sad about the whole situation, but I know that she knows, it's almost her time. No matter how much I try to cheer her up, she always seems to be down.

'Hey, Maddy, can I have a word, somewhere else?' Rhydian asks. I look around. Both my parents seem occupied so we sneak out of the bedroom into the garden.

'What?' I ask. I feel cold hearted towards him. I almost feel like it's his fault mam has got chest cancer, but I know I'm just looking for someone to blame, and right now, he's the easy choice.

'Well, I didn't want to ask it in the bedroom, in front of your parents, but how can your mum even get chest cancer?' he shakes his head, 'I don't understand. I thought wolfbloods didn't get diseases like cancer?'

I knew what he meant. Wolfbloods were supposed to be 100% capable of fighting off cancer, and here my mam was having it, so how could that be possible? I knew she was wolfblood, because I'd seen her transform, so what was going on here?

'I have no idea how she can get it, Rhydian! We need a genius, and to be quite frank none of us here are really all that brainy!' I think for a moment, 'Why don't we go to Shannon? Or she and Tom can come all the way to us?'.

I can see Rhydian is thinking about it, and he's almost persuaded, but then at the last moment he shakes his head, and turns his back as if to go back inside.

'How do you think Tom and Shannon will take it if they know your mum's got chest cancer? The first thing they'll do is run away to here and check we're alright. You know that's what they'll do!' he snaps, 'can't you just grow up Maddy, and learn to accept the fact that we're on our own here?'.

I feel tears sting in my eyes. This is the boy who I've been though hell and back with, and he can't be bothered to pick up a phone and call someone for me? Well that showed me how much our friendship meant. Obviously while I'd been away, he had totally forgot about me, and was living the lap of luxury!

'Please Rhydian. We need a genius, and your the only one who has got their contact. So what's it going to be? Are you going to be a arrogant cub all your life or are you going to grow up and stop my mam from getting cancer?' I snap, 'it's your decision Rhydian!'

He sighs, and I know I have won him over. This was more like the Rhydian who I used to know. The old Rhydian wasn't afraid of taking risks, and now the new Rhydian wasn't either. I was ready to talk to Shannon and Tom again. I wanted my old friends more than anything. I craved for something normality in my life.

'Fine, Maddy! But your doing the talking!' sighs Rhydian, and he stalks back into our tiny house.