We're Stronger Now- Wolfblood

Chapter 17

"What should I tell Matei?" TJ asked, helping load the final cases into the back of Dr Whitewood's Land Rover.

Jana shrugged. "The truth. He'll understand."

The sun hadn't come up yet, but Jana could still make out the frustration on TJ's face. She knew exactly why; one week of abandoning her pack had turned into two, and now she was leaving for Stoneybridge for yet another.

She sighed and glanced at the open boot of the car. It was stuffed to the brim with Becca's medical cases and her own satchels filled with herbal remedies from the wild. There must be something in all that which could help Ceri.

Beyond the stack, Maddy and Rhydian were in the back seats, comfortably asleep under a pink blanket lent to them by Katrina. After living with their ex-schoolmate for over two weeks, the three had become surprisingly close. Katrina had even insisted on gifting the pair an "unlimited Kafe gift voucher" (which Jana was fairly certain didn't actually exist).

"How long are you staying in Stoneybridge?" TJ asked.

"I'm not sure. For as long as Becca can stay without raising suspicion."

"Wait, Segolia don't know?". TJ turned to his mum, who was talking to Dr Whitewood.

"If we went official with this, the procedure would include taking a whole team to Stoneybridge, or worse, bringing Ceri to Newcastle," Imara explained, "Given Rhydian's mother's scepticism about the company, we've decided to keep this separate from work. Only Dr Whitewood and I ever have to know."

"It's better this way," Jana added, "Ceri, Gerwyn, even Rhydian... they all have a history with Segolia which they would rather keep in the past."

"And how long will it be before someone at Segolia notices their equipment and staff are missing?" TJ argued.

"They won't." Imara replied, "I've got this all covered. If I were you I'd be worrying about who's going to control your pack while Jana's away."

"We're not cubs, mum!" TJ insisted "We can look out for ourselves. As long as Jana's back in time for full moon next week..."

He looked at Jana expectantly, but when his alpha didn't reply he soon realised what was really going on.

"I'm sorry, TJ, I really am! But...Ceri's not in a good way, at all. I haven't seen her for years and if this is the last time I see her, I want it to be for as long as possible." Jana protested, feeling an oh-too common pang of guilt in her chest. "Besides, I promised Maddy and Rhydian that we'd spend one more full moon together on the moors." She added, gesturing to the back seats of the car.

"But they're not your pack Jana, and your not their alpha. We need you here!" TJ replied, on the verge of veining up from frustration. However, Imara stepped in front of him, telling Jana to check the coordinates with Dr Whitewood. She obeyed, leaving the mother and son together in the darkness.

"You don't have to worry about the next full moon. I've arranged for you, Matei and Selina to come to Norway."

"What?"

"We'll be flying out with the other Segolia wolfbloods. I have work to do while we're out there, but you and the rest of the pack can do whatever you want out there." Imara explained to her son, "You didn't think I would let you three roam free in Newcastle after what happened last time, did you?"

"Your mum's right, TJ," Jana added, getting into the passenger seat, "you guys can't spend another full moon in the city, not until it's safe."

She slammed the door as Dr Whitewood started the car engine, piercing through the 4 am silence. Without hesitation, TJ ran forward and tapped on the passenger window, motioning for Jana to roll the window down. She obeyed, rolling her eyes at the younger wolfblood.

"What, TJ?"

"Look, I'm not trying to stop you from leaving-"

"Are you sure about that?" Jana snapped, gesturing at their current situation.

"I'll be quick, I promise" TJ insisted, flashing her a cheeky smile, "Look, I know how important Ceri is to you. But none of us have seen you for over two weeks. Selina's still anxious about the arrest, Matei's been hanging around like a lost puppy... we need you, Jana. At least text me when you get to Stoneybridge. And for the love of God, call Matei. I can't handle much more of his pining."

Jana laughed quietly. She couldn't deny that over the last few weeks she had felt divided between her Stoneybridge life and her city life. Furthermore, balancing the two seemed impossible. But just knowing how supportive her friends were reminded her that -no matter where she was- she would be happy.

"I will. I promise I'll see you all soon."

She waved to TJ and Imara one more time before rolling the window back up. As they began to drive away, she looked back at Maddy and Rhydian, who -despite the unevenness of the cobbled street- were still peacefully asleep.

"I'm guessing you're still not going to let me use the satnav?" Dr Whitewood said with a smile.

"You guessed right. We don't need it." Jana replied. She gazed at the empty road illuminated by the car lights, already sensing that she was closer to home. "Thank you for doing this, Becca. I appreciate the risk you're taking..."

"It's my pleasure." Dr Whitewood insisted. "After all, things are different now. Medicine needs to cater to humans and wolfbloods. I want us to work together, Jana. Your wild remedies, my human medicine...who knows what we could achieve."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that this trip to Stoneybridge could do far more than help Ceri."