I'm On My Way

Chapter 5

Maddy froze, her feet glued to the ground, as if the pursuer hadn't already seen her. In her fright, she did not try to get the scent. She just let the beating of her heart fill the silence, her eyes scrunched up, waiting for the worst.
"Maddy?!" Jana's sudden voice  made Maddy jump, but seconds after she relaxed, shoulders loosening, a slight grin nudging her lips as she laughed at herself.
"What are you doing here!?" Jana had recovered from her confusion, and so this line was whispered harshly. Another silence. Jana raised her eyebrows, as if saying "well?"
The truth filled her mind almost at once, and Maddy blurted it out before she could stop it.
"I'm going back!" She yelled, her voice filled with excitement, as well as trying to convince herself of what was happening.
She regretted the words she had spoken for the whole forest to hear. And yet, she knew she had to tell Jana the truth.
Jana's eyes widened slightly. "You mean to Stoneybridge?" Maddy nodded, and Jana mirrored her action, taking in the information.
"I'm going, Jana, and you can't stop me. I can't cope anymore. I have to go home. I-"
"Maddy!" Jana yelled for the third time, finally managing to break through Maddy's wall of words. Maddy's mouth snapped shut.
"I get it, ok. I'm not gonna try and stop you."
Eyebrows furrowed, Maddy tilted her head to the side.
"Really?!"
Jana nodded, and smiled. "I know it's time for you to go."
Nodding awkwardly, Maddy turned round and began to walk away. She didn't want more goodbyes.
"But only if I go with you." Maddy stopped and turned round.
Before she could open her mouth to ask why, Jana continued.
"I need a change. Plus, I'd like to see the human world again."
After a few seconds thought, Maddy decided she'd want a friend with her; she smiled and nodded, before returning to her journey.
"I think you'll need your parents. Take them with you Maddy. Leaving one group of loved ones for another won't do. You need all of us. You need your whole pack."