Wolf Girl (Book 2)

Chapter 1: Carys

Carys' POV

"I love the wild," Jana and I sit on a cliff edge overlooking a deep valley full of vibrant green trees, "Every night under the stars, every night with you," I look away from the beautiful view and turn to the even more breathtaking sight next to me.

"You don't miss home? Being able to eat a meal without showering the woods first? Sleeping in an actual building with actual central heating?" She asks.

"It was hard at first, learning to hunt, which I'm still terrible at, and not having all the human things I took for granted."

"The flushing toilets," Jana says.

"Yes, the flushing toilets," I laugh, "And I miss our friends, but I'd miss you more if we were apart."

"I'm so in love with you," Jana kisses me. She glances at her phone which she keeps hidden from the rest of the pack, "We should get back to camp though, my father will be getting worried," she stands up, reaching her hand out to me.

We've been out in the wild for almost two months now and I feel like a different person than the girl who ran away after losing both of her parents and the closest thing she had to a home. I'm so much happier.

It's not perfect, I've come to realise there's no such thing.

I still have nightmares about my parents, I hear the gunshots and see the blood splatter over and over again in my sleep, an endless cycle of the trauma I've tried to put behind me. The only reprieve I get comes from the other nightmares, in particular a recurring dream that has me waking up screaming from time to time. The pack get irritated with me when it happens and some of them were close to calling for my exile, but Ceri treats me like I'm her own cub, she wouldn't let that happen. Even Alric has started to warm up to me a little bit.

Luckily, the day time is more peaceful than when the sun sets. Sometimes I hear my mum's voice, when I'm hunting or fishing on my own, just things I remember her saying to me a lot. She called me 'Cherub' when I was little, so I hear that a lot. And there's a song she used to sing to me when I was a baby, sometimes I hear that when I get stressed or overwhelmed by the bad dreams. It's a Welsh lullaby, so I have no clue what the words mean, but I like it, even if it does sort of creep me out that I can hear her voice when I'm alone. I know it's not real; I think it's just my brain's way of coping with the drastic change in environment. And I guess you could say I've been through a lot of trauma.

We walk hand in hand through the moonlit forest. The pack have relocated to Wales for spring. I thought Jana would be skeptical about staying in the wild, but she never seems to give a second thought when it comes to being with me. She always makes sure I'm happy, she says my happiness is her only concern.

Once we arrive back at the camp after our walk, there seems to be some kind of commotion going on, and I can smell someone new here. Some of the pack are crowding around the fighting ground. Jana pushes past them, pulling me along with her, and we stand beside Gerwyn. Ceri is next to him trying to calm everyone down. I see a Wolfblood I've never met before. A blonde woman, no older than twenty-five, with blonde bouncy hair and fancy human clothes. At first glance she doesn't seem especially strong, but her being out here alone doesn't align with that perception. She's stood tall, shoulder back, asserting herself, and it's clear she's not just some tame city wolf, perhaps she's Alpha of her own pack. She doesn't back down or submit to Ceri, no matter how much the pack goads her.

Ceri turns to Jana and me, "Jana, take Carys back to the den," she tries to block my view of the woman, but I push past her, and take a sniff. I know who she is right away, I can smell it.

"It's her isn't it?" I ask Ceri.

She sighs, "Yes, Cariad. Your sister," Ceri is emotional, that's why she can't get control of the pack like she normally does. She then turns to Gerwyn who comforts her, reminding her just how strong she truly is. I grab Jana's hand. She looks at me.