Cover

Title Page

WOLVEN

BY DI TOFT

SCHOLASTIC INC. | NEW YORK

Dedication

THIS ONE’S FOR JOHN AND CONNIE MAJOR
—MY MUM AND DAD

CHAPTER 1
HELD TO RANSOM

In Nat Carver’s opinion, the strange animal being paraded before him looked as though it owed its origins more to Dr. Frankenstein than Mr. Darwin. For once he felt lost for words, although he could think of a few he might have said if his mum hadn’t been there.

This, he thought, has got to be a joke.

But when the silence became prolonged and uncomfortable, the kind where no one really knows what to say for the best, Nat knew it was no joke.

Behind him, his granddad, Mick, forced air through his false teeth, making a humming noise like a kazoo, a clear sign that he didn’t know what to say, either. “I’m flabbergasted,” he muttered at last.

“It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be,” whispered Nat’s mum, also clearly stunned by the creature standing before them.

“And a heck of a lot older,” muttered Mick, sharing some of Nat’s dismay. He turned to the farmer.

“You’re playing a prank, Alec,” said Mick angrily. “Our Nat wants a pedigree puppy, not this scraggy ol’ mutt.”

Despite the wasted journey, Nat thought that it had been worth it just to meet this miserable old farmer. Alec Tate had enormous, ill-fitting false teeth and the type of lugubrious mug Nat normally associated with a bloodhound or getting your face squashed in the doors of an elevator.

Nat’s mum, Jude, watched nervously from the safety of the barn door, in case the animal made any sudden move toward her. It kept blinking as though it wasn’t used to the sunlight, and plunked its hindquarters down on the dusty ground, quietly ignoring its visitors. When it opened its vast mouth to yawn, Nat and his grandfather hastily stepped backward. They stared in fascination as the top of the dog’s head appeared to become detached from the bottom half, revealing rows of sharp, white teeth. Then it made a loud noise like a supersonic jet taking off. Despite his initial disappointment, Nat found himself grinning.

Fed up with waiting for Tate to answer him, Mick tried again, hoping to lighten the awkward moment. “I mean, look at the beast. It’s so big our Nat could ride the beggar home.”

“Might not look like much at the moment,” said Mr. Tate. “He’s going through an adolescent phase. Looks a bit out of proportion.”

You’re so not kidding, Nat agreed silently.