CHLOE
I curled up on the damp bed, the only relatively comfortable spot in the room, nursing my bruised chest and stomach. Vincent had come in a couple of hours ago and I had attacked him after managing to break off my shackles. He hadn’t expected it. He was still stronger and faster than me and gained the upper hand before long.
Nonetheless, I felt a little satisfied that I was able to draw blood and put a mark on his smug face.
Except he didn’t look so smug when he came in, he seemed troubled. I couldn’t understand why and I didn’t think about it at the time. My intent was just to hurt him as much as I could and maybe I’ll be lucky enough to kill him, consequences be damned. But now, I couldn’t help but be a little concerned.
CHLOEI’m sorry ChloeI’m sorry I couldn’t protect you and Mackenzie or the future we wanted. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all the suffering you have been through without me by your side. But I promise you will never have to do it alone anymore.You’ve saved my life once before you’ve saved me more times than you know. Allow me to repay the favor.I promise I’ll come get you and Mackenzie out of Vincent’s hands tonight. Just hold tight.And don’t forget: I love youMarkI read the letter three more times as my tears dotted the piece of paper. I brought it up to my chest and held on to it tightly, the smell of Mark on the paper giving me hope like never before.Maybe Pascal wasn’t as evil as I thought after all. He must be helping Mark. The last time I saw Mark he was dead in a pool of his blood. There was no way he could have gotten out of there on his own.Then I had another thought. What if this was another way for Vincent to torture me? What if it wasn’t true and Vincent jus
VINCENTAs I drove to the company building in the middle of town, I thought of creative ways to put the fear back into the board members. Some of them were members of the pack from older families and it would have taken means that were a little more than conventional to make them remember their place. Very soon though, after the ritual is completed, there would be no need for all of this. Every single person in Drewsy, both human or werewolf, would bow to me of their own volition.As I walked into the building, everyone greeted me as they should. I mostly ignored them and headed straight to the elevator. Ronald my new beta ran up to meet me, nervousness spilling out of his suit as he came closer.He may have been a pretty strong werewolf but he wasn’t accustomed to being my beta and handling all my dealings. It was expected and I had planned to put him through all of this. But now was not the time.“What's the update, Ronald?” I asked as the elevator doors closed shut in front of us.
MARKI cut through the werewolves I came across like a hot knife through butter. I encountered opposition from the minute I walked through the gates. Gates I walked in and out of for decades while I lived here. I grew up here, we both did, Vincent and I. Neither of us are the same people we used to be in those simpler days. My brother and I were at each other’s throats, the one constant that haunted my father. He always hoped that someday we would stand together, me and Vincent, shoulder to shoulder as one against the storms of life. But that time never came in his lifetime. And now he has no reason to think it would come to pass in his death. I should know. After all, I had died already,Once.My mind traveled of its own accord to the time I lay on the floor in my father’s office, mortally wounded and left for dead by my brother. I wouldn’t be here if Jeff Pope hadn’t saved me. He came and took me away as Vincent’s wolves cleaned up the building after my last confrontation w
CHLOEI stirred awake and heard what I could only describe as death throes and hard falls of bodies on the even harder ground. No sooner did they fall than a strong force tried to break down the iron door. At the second blast, the door visibly contorted in an irregular shape. Fear coursed through my very veins at this new force. Could Vincent have decided it was time for him to take my powers and was done waiting for whatever he was waiting for? In a moment the door was blown almost completely off its hinges and I saw the ‘strong force’. “Chloe, I’m here now. I’m here my Love.” Mark said he picked me up and held me close in his arms. I cried and felt him to see if he was real. He was. “Mark, are you here?” I questioned him with sobs of relief.“I’m here Chloe. I’m here. It’s alright now. Everything is going to be alright my love.” Mark comforted me the way only he could. By being there for me. “I’m sorry, Mark. I’m so sorry. You warned me not to and I didn’t l
ANDER’s MOONVINCENTI attacked my brother ferociously with all the strength I could muster, which was a fair lot. I was not prepared for Mark to match my speed and strength, we traded blows for blows and I could hear Mark tell Chloe to get out of there and go find Mackenzie. Little did they know…Mark swept a fast claw in an uppercut motion and as I leaned back to avoid the slash he made to speedily sweep my feet from under me. I jumped and landed a hard kick on his face that got deflected by his ever-ready hands. He took a step back from me and I saw him truly for the first time. It would seem I wasn’t the only one who had an upgrade in powers and looks. “You performed the bonding ritual, brother?” I asked him. He thought he could take my place, my birthright.“I started it too. And just like you, if I don’t finish the ritual tonight. I die.” Mark said without the least bit of fear in his eyes.“Ritual or not, brother. You die tonight.” I said as I lunged
ANDER’S MOONCHLOEMark had urged me to leave the courtyard where he did battle with his brother. I was rooted to the spot for a moment as I observed the deadly battle as they visibly danced to bloodthirsty tunes only they could hear. I left the courtyard and made my way outside to find sheer chaos about me. Werewolves fought and maimed each other everywhere around me but no signs of my daughter in the ensuing violent mess of things. I looked for her with all I had. The more time went by, the more I started to doubt whether I’d see her, but the more frantic I searched too. The pain of losing Mackenzie yet again was physical at this point. I settled on the ground with my right hand pounding my aching chest. My heart hurt and as I sat there in all the helplessness, I heard all the werewolves outside howl loudly at the moon. Their collective howling made me look. Only then did I observe the moon for the first time? Ander’s moon lurked in the night sky. Like a regular full moon but it had
MARKI drove home to the recently renovated Pope mansion as thoughts of the recent past rumbled in my mind. I buried my brother side by side with his mother. Members of the Pack not seen in Drewsy for decades returned to Drewsy after the funeral, they stayed away from the Dennison family because of Jacinta and Pascal’s purge. Many of them knew my parents and we’re quite sorry to hear that Jane passed. She had lived with some of them while she was on the run and she had grown up with some of them. News had reached them that Jane Vandersen was alive after she made her appearance at Grown Man’s Valley. It was a new age for the Pack and peace reigned for the first time in a long time, for the bonding ritual was finally completed with me as Pack alpha from the Pope family. My family would rule for the next 150 years and hand over Pack leadership to the Porters. For they were next in line for the Drewsy Pack leadership. Upon my ascension as alpha, I made the Ascension public knowledge, now
MARKLife was different and a lot better with my brother gone. In the very least having no one wanting to kill you at any given time was a relief.But then I had more; A family.All my life I had never really had that. Growing up with the Dennisons was not very heartwarming. I was an outcast, Jacinta hated me and Vincent only ever saw me as competition. But now I had a real family, that I’d love and would love me back.These thoughts washed through my mind as I watched Chloe sleep. It was barely day, with the sun peeping out the horizon to the sound of the early bird.I got out of bed soon though to prepare for work. After Vincent’s and Jacinta’s death, I was in charge of the Dennison family company as well as being pack Alpha. I had not wanted any of the positions but it was vacant and it was my duty both as Vincent’s brother and as my father’s son, a Pope, to step up.With the pack, it was easier. There was a hierarchy for dominance and most of the wer