At Bradlington High, they were watching a performance by Kay and her street-dancing group. Maddy was seeming a little too interested in it, as Rhydian tried to convince her to tame her wolf-self, but it was not really working all that well.

"Maddy." Liana growled under her breath at the realization and Rick was shaking his head.

"This is definitely not going to end well." Rick muttered under his breath as Maddy was growling quietly and at the sound, Shannon was looking up at them.

Maddy raced up onto the stage and she started dancing, copying Kay and eventually, just making up her moves as she went and to Liana's shock and horror, Maddy's eyes had gone golden yellow.

"Oh no." Liana whispered as Maddy was dancing and she shook her head, as she spotted her eyes flashing gold and she pulled out her phone. "I need to call the Smiths. Now." She said very softly and she moved past Rick, whose eyes flashed briefly and she glared at him.

"Veins." He murmured and she cursed, as she looked at her hands and she shoved them into her pockets as she walked out of the auditorium.

Poor Mr. Jeffries was now trying to chew Maddy out, and failing consistently as everyone, thought that she had been so cool to do it. Jeffries finished and Liana shook her head at Maddy.

Rhydian muttered to Maddy, as Rick and Liana caught up to them as Liana shook her head at Maddy.

"I had it under control." Maddy said sharply as Rick shook his head at the words of denial.

"Bullshit." Rick muttered and out of complete nowhere at the insult, she'd growl and Maddy spun around with no warning and she slapped him.

Rick's head moved back to face forward and Maddy walked away before Mr. Jeffries could say anything to her about it, as Rick shook his head to clear it.

"You didn't deserve that." Liana mumbled and he shrugged, as he walked over to his locker.

"It isn't the first time that someone has slapped me." He muttered at the tone that was considered quiet for a wolfblood to speak at, as she sighed and shook her head.

"Still doesn't make it right." Liana pointed out as she grabbed her bag and they went to the cafeteria.

"I got invited to their birthday party a while ago." Rick noted casually and he raised his eyebrows, as they all stared at him. "What? I am the quiet guy, the three bumbling idiots probably wanted to see if drinks could get me to spill a few things." He said with a shrug and they all looked at him. "I'm not that stupid."

"That's a bloody relief." Liana muttered and after Shannon had insulted Maddy, she had left to storm off and Liana sighed. "Well done, Shannon. I mean really." She said coldly and Shannon sighed.

*****************

The next day at school, Maddy was dressed up like the three K's and Rick nudged Liana. "What?" She asked and he nodded at Maddy. "Holy, by my bloody hell." She said and shuddered at the sight of her.

Mr. Jeffries asked and Liana shook her head at a moment too late.

"Who dressed you this morning, sir? Your grandma?" Maddy shot back and Liana shook her head.

"Maddy, stop it!" Liana exclaimed to her sister, who looked at her with the roll of her eyes.

"What? You gonna go crying to parents about it like you always do when there's something that you want in life?" Maddy's tone was scathing as she spat the words at her adopted sister and everyone went silent in the room, as Liana looked like she was about to cry and she picked up her bag in silence. "Go on. Run away again, like you always do Liana. What is next? Go off and run away from everything again?! What will you do without parents..."

"That's enough. Can you not see that she is already upset?" Rick snapped at Maddy, as Liana handed in her work for the next couple of days over to Mr. Jeffries, as she walked out of the room with tears pouring down her face.

Mr. Jeffries was extremely angry, much angrier than he had ever been before.

"Mr. Jeffries, should I?..." Rick asked and Mr. Jeffries nodded slightly at the door.

Mr. Jeffries stated and Rick nodded, as he picked up his bag and raced off after Liana, as Maddy went in the opposite direction as he did.

It took Rick a good while, but he did eventually find Liana next to the river and he sighed. "Led me on a bit of a chase." He remarked and she looked at him briefly, before she stared at the river again.

"It is only fair, seeing how it is that I can't even smell you coming." Liana's voice was raw and he walked over to stand next to her.

"Can I sit?" Rick asked and since she didn't respond in either a positive nor a negative way, he assumed that he could sit down without getting bitten by her.

"Why are you out here? You should just be in school, not out here with a Wolfblood who can't deal with herself and her bloody adoptive sibling." She said and she wiped at her eyes and he looked at her.

"Your sister... Maddy is being a total bitch at the moment." Liana raised an eyebrow at the expression. "Right. It is an insult that Americans use. Quite often it is used as "son of a bitch" and it is quite insulting." Rick explained as he looked at her.

"You didn't answer the bloody question." She spoke bluntly and Rick laughed a little.

"Yeah, okay that's fair. I was in your same position, before I left the States to get thrown into Bradington. I was the alpha of the junior pack and the second that my parents weren't alive anymore, everyone was fighting for a position in the junior pack since I was supposed to move up to the adult pack to be their alpha. I was stuck because no one in either case even remotely liked me. My parents had been beloved, I was just the secondary option." He said and she looked at him in silence. "I know what it feels like, to have another one of your own kind, completely losing it on you and doing everything in their power to hurt you." He admitted and she looked at him, before she nodded and he scoffed.

"Are you going to Kay's birthday party?" She asked and he looked at her as he shook his head. "Good. That trio are all... what's your expression that you just used?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Bitches?" Rick was smirking as he remarked and she nodded as he stood up and yawned, as he was handing her school bag over to her.

"Can you teach me how you disguise your scent?" She asked and he looked at her with a small shrug.

"All right. But only if you promise not to scare the crap out of me with it. Do we have a deal?" He asked as she was nodding and she took her school bag, as she stood up. "Come on. I'll walk you home." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm a wolf, not a cub." She snapped and he chuckled at her words, as she shook her head and started laughing at once when she realized.

They both took off running down the riverbank and they were laughing, as they raced off and they seemed happy about it, and they reached the Smith house.

"You wanna come in?" Liana asked and Rick's nose was twitching, as she realized what it was. "Oh, our territory. Hang on a minute." She murmured and she knocked on the door. "Mrs. Smith!" She called out and Emma came to answer the door.

"Yes Mrs. Smith, I'm perfectly fine thank you. But I have a friend over at the moment. Come on in." Liana said as Rick was still waitin' for permission at the gate. "This is Rick Casey." She said and Emma's face changed at once and she nodded in understanding.

She said and Rick walked up at once and his face looked somewhat, was wistful the word.

Rick's veins started to creep up his neck as he allowed himself to briefly almost wolf out, until he put it back inside and Emma looked at him.

Emma noted and Rick nodded slightly.

"My mom and dad were Luna and Alpha." He murmured and he was fidgeting with the watch around his wrist.

"You guys can head up to Liana's room if you wanted to watch some films. There are snacks in the small cupboard in our room." Emma said and Liana smiled at her mum.

"Thanks... Mum." Liana said and as soon as she heard it, Emma's face was bright and Liana walked up the stairs, as Rick followed her.

"By films?..."

"Movies." Liana translated and Rick nodded and they both started poking around the films and Liana got their entire cupboard full of snacks.