FANGROOT
CHLOEAlone. Unaided, that’s how he did it. Ronald had successfully invaded my home and showed me what we all knew now. That we were completely at his mercy. I didn’t know it at the time, but Mark had half a dozen werewolves watching over us when he left the house. He had two monitors outside the gates, another two on the grounds of our property, and two more on patrol. Yet not even one of them smelled his entry, much less saw him enter. He sat in my chair and threatened to end everything I cared about in the world and we don’t even know how. Logically it was almost impossible to avoid the senses of six well developed werewolves on guard. Avoiding just one werewolf’s senses was lucky, avoiding two was considered divine luck. Avoiding three, now that would require divine luck and help from others. Avoiding Six was Ronald. And no one else. I knew Dennisons. I know the feeling of having your existence be threatened by one of them.Mark had left the house yeFANGROOTMARKI sat there and simply processed what I’d been told. Christian Packard had allowed himself to get caught because he would rather we catch him than go back to Ronald’s clutches. Ronald Dennison, the new thorn at my side. He was powerful, undoubtedly so. Testament to his ability was his seamless invasion into my home. Now I know how. Wolves have always been social creatures, from the wolves in the wild to the more advanced kind, we have always been social creatures, and we’ve depended on our senses. A werewolf has a heightened sense of smell and hearing, impeccable vision, and most of all, what we rely on is our ability to sense our immediate environment, the energy around us, and the general life force.But there was a werewolf who could manipulate al
MARKThe pure undiluted rage pumping through my veins seemed to overflow and fill my senses. All I could see was red and I was going to make sure Ronald felt that rage.I pounced on him and he braced himself in response as we crashed into the marble table in the center of the room reducing it to a million tiny pieces.Ronald seemed to recover first and made to swipe at my face with bared claws and a maniacal grin on his face. But Pascal intervened, grabbed him from behind, and threw into the wall with sufficient force that made Ronald-shaped cracks in it. Pascal stretched his arm out to help me up which I took. I looked at him a bit quizzically. All the time I’ve known him I had never seen him intervene physically in any conflict in the pack or even in his family apart from the training he gave me and Vincent. The fact he was fighting with me now, especially against someone who actually shared a blood relationship with him made me feel a type of way that was difficu
Discovery and DecisionI fidgeted with my dress, I glanced at my watch for what felt like the hundredth time. What was taking Vincent so long? Today is his daughter’s birthday and he still hasn't arrived. What could be more important than his daughter’s birthday, I wondered.Mackenzie's birthday party was already in full swing. Little kids screamed and ran about the house having the time of their lives."Hey, Chloe, what's wrong?" Rachel asked, noticing my distress.I hesitated, "Just worried about Vincent. He's running late." I forced a smile.Rachel's eyes became sympathetic. "I'm sure he'll be here soon. He wouldn't miss Mackenzie's party for anything."I chuckled drily, not quite feeling the humor. How could Vincent not be in attendance for his daughter's birthday party? It was his daughter for God's sake!As I left the kids in the garden I went inside, most of the parents were inside the house. Some of them lay in compromising positions, I stared away, not daring to look any l
Confrontation and ConflictOur house was just meters away from the woods, the tall sprawling woods, the pack lived here. It was all to prevent sightings of werewolves I knew. The pack was secluded, far away from humans. I stared out at the view as Rachel's voice echoed in my ears, she'd just called me."Are you sure of this Chloe? Vincent would be furious," Rachel asked, her voice laced with worry. I took a deep breath, my hands trembling as I held the phone. "I won't back down Rachel, I'm tired of being treated like I'm trash or…or like his plaything." My voice cracked, and I wiped away a tear."Be careful Chloe," Rachel whispered, "If something happens call me immediately okay?" I nodded, wiping my eyes. "I will." I ended the call and I stared outside quietly, waiting for Vincent's return. The sound of screeching car tires made my heart race, Vincent was back. The divorce papers felt strangely heavy in my hands, a symbol of the end of our sham marriage. The lawyer had faxed th
A Shocking ReunionAs I drove down the familiar dirt road, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. It's been six years since I left the pack, I thought. Waves of memories came flooding back as I drove on, the pack hadn't changed much since I'd left, there were a lot more houses than I remembered.I saw a few familiar faces in the distance but I ignored them, there would be time for reunions later. I wanted to see Vincent."Are you sure it's not Chloe you really want to see?" A voice echoed in my head,my face flushed and my breathing quickened. It had been years since I saw her but her blue eyes were etched in my memory.As I got out of the car I heard strange noises from inside and my hair stood on end - something was wrong. I rushed to the house and what I saw made my blood run cold. I stood frozen in the doorway, my eyes fixed on the scene before me. My brother, Vincent, was forcing himself onto his wife, Chloe. The same Chloe I had secretly loved for years, but never had the
A Fresh StartI packed a small suitcase with only the essentials, my hands shaking with fear and anger. I couldn't believe Vincent had tried to rape me, and I knew I had to escape before he tried again. I grabbed Mackenzie's hand, her eyes wide with confusion."Mommy, where are we going?" she asked, her voice trembling."We're going to Rachel's, sweetie," I replied, trying to sound calm. "We'll be safe there."Mackenzie looked on the verge of tears, but she simply nodded, not asking any more questions. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Vincent wasn't home. I couldn't imagine how he would react if I tried to leave while he was here.As we left the house, I felt a mix of emotions: relief, fear, and anxiety. I had no idea how I would provide for Mackenzie, but I knew I couldn't stay with Vincent any longer."But Mummy," Mackenzie pulled my hand, "Aren't we taking Brownies?"I forced a smile, "Not now Mackenzie, we'll come back for her later okay?"She nodded, her expression look
The UltimatumAs I stepped into Mark's office, my heart raced with anxiety. Mark's piercing gaze scrutinized me, making me squirm in my seat. His eyes seemed to bore into my soul, as if searching for secrets I didn't want to reveal."So, Chloe, tell me, why do you need this job so desperately?" Mark's deep voice was firm and businesslike.I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. My mind raced with thoughts of Vincent, my ex-husband, and the mess I'd left behind. I saw something flash in Mark's eyes, a glimmer of understanding perhaps, or a hint of empathy."It's...To be honest, Mark, I'm in a difficult situation," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need this job to support myself." I swallowed hard, the words sticking in my throat. I hated that I had to be desperate in this way and to him of all people, but I had no choice.Mark raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "Vincent, can provide for you. He runs the biggest company in the city. Why do you need to work?" I too
My chest rose and fell rapidly as I breathed, the tension in the office felt like an unexpected weight pressing down on me. Mark's words left me stunned; he wanted me. He'd said it firmly, leaving no room for rebuttal. "I…" my tongue tangled in knots, "I need time to think about this," I said and my voice trembled, I didn't dare raise my head to meet Mark's gaze. "Whatever you say," Mark said with a dismissive wave of his hand, looking confident. "I expect an answer by tomorrow," Mark said, his eyes gleaming with a knowing glint as his eyes swept over me and I could even feel a trace of want. My face flushed under his stare."Yes," I nodded and I got to my feet, "I'll be leaving, thank you." I turned around immediately to leave. "Wait," Mark said, stopping me just as I was about to open the door, he smiled as he got to his feet. "I'll see you off." My heart raced and I tried to maintain a neutral expression as he approached me, "You don't have to, Mark." "Sure I do," Mark shrugged