Chapter 5

The Dark Storm Board of Directors was made of leaders from the different subunits that made up the Dark Storm pack. While Ezra Storm was the backbone behind the success of the business, employed pack members managed individual sections. Since the conglomeration of the different sectors of Dark Storm Enterprises was the source of livelihood for all the park members, a board was created to unite each section leader for efficiency. 

Ordinarily, Ezra Storm, as founder and Alpha sat at the head of the table and his vote held the most power. In his absence Maggie’s vote was final. But now without Maggie or Ezra, they needed a new leader. With Ezra out of the way, the snakes could now meet out in the spacious conference room to discuss the future of the pack. The pack’s first Beta, Ezekiel, cousin to Ezra Storm took his usual seat, second to the head. 2 other Beta took their places on the table, and the remaining 2 occupants of the room were the pack warriors, Noah and Caleb. They were assigned to Ezra as his bodyguards but now with his demise, they would be assigned to their next assignment, bodyguards to their new Alpha.

Three seats remained unoccupied and those belonged to Lance, his brother Axel and his uncle Reggie. Noah sat stiffly in his chair trying to appear as nonchalant as possible as he flipped the pen in his hand repeatedly. He had been on an assignment for Ezra only to receive a call that morning asking him to come down to the state for a matter of great urgency. He had had his suspicions but it still caught him by surprise when he heard a new leader would be taking over. He knew immediately that his greatest fear had come to pass. Ezra was dead.

His hands almost shook but he kept his appearance as grim as possible. If any one of the others suspected he was not on their side they would waste no time killing him and he didn’t want that. Mistress Maggie had to know about what happened. Unless…

“It’s been 2 hours and they are not here,” Ezekiel’s voice boomed impatiently. “Has anyone tried to contact them?”

“I called Lance and he wasn’t picking. Axel is on his way. Reggie is with him.”

“They better have a damn good excuse for their lateness. After all, these are arrangements for them!”

Beside Noah, Caleb who had also been waiting patiently to know why he had been summoned asked, “I seem to be the only one who didn’t get the memo. Mr. Storm did not call me back from my assignment but I got a call to come around for an important meeting. I'm guessing we waiting for Mr. Storm?”

“Ezra is dead,” Ezekiel informed him.

The room fell silent, the only sounds heard were those of the workers on other floors and the humming air conditioners. 

Caleb could not hide his surprise at the bland tone with which the message was delivered. He glanced at Noah but Noah kept his eyes down on his pen.

“You will serve the new Alpha.”

He turned back to Ezekiel who was still speaking. He too had been on an assignment. And now that he thought about it, it was Ezekiel who had convinced Ezra to send him and Noah off. Now he began to wonder if their sudden assignment had anything to do with his death. As his close guards, they were not supposed to be apart from him.

Ezekiel must have read the direction of his thoughts because he leaned forward with his hands on his table with a direct stare at both Caleb and Noah. “We regret the Alpha’s demise. News presses will be held to inform the public of the death of my cousin and his only heir, Margaret Storm.” His stare became cold and dark. “The official story is a plane crash and that will be arranged.” He leaned back in the highback leather chair and swerved it slightly, his eyes watching the others in the room with a silent warning. “We will not waste any time, we are here to introduce the new Alpha.”

“And I am guessing that should be me.”

All eyes in the room suddenly turned to the now-opened door. Noah and Caleb exchanged glances as Ezekiel rose slowly from his chair. He couldn’t believe his eyes. 

Instead of Lance, Axel, and Reggie, a ghost from the last 24 hours stood there.

She was supposed to be dead. But she didn’t look dead dressed in a pair of ripped black jeans and a faded shirt. Her eyes were definitely alive with amusement and hate as she walked into the room, her boots clicked against the tiles. A cynical smile hovered on her lips as she approached the table, walked to the head of it and pulled out her father’s chair.

“Don’t be too surprised, uncle. I survived and I have come to take over my father’s role as the head of Dark Storm.”

Maggie took her seat and folded her arms in front of her. She enjoyed the silence in the room which lasted for a full minute before Caleb broke it.

“But…the plane crash…”

Maggie’s eyes held amusement as she turned to Ezekiel whose eyes continued to bulge. She shouldn’t be alive. But then again she wouldn’t be there if she was dead.

“Was that the story you made up? A plane crash, uncle? Fortunately…or unfortunately for you and my father’s enemies I survived. And I will continue to survive every accident you throw at me. Now don’t just stand there with your mouths wide open, call Lance and Axel and tell them the new Boss is here and when you’re done with that uncle, introduce every member of the staff to me, I need to know my workers.”

“But…but…”

“Did I stutter? Betas?”

“Out.” Ezekiel’s voice was low but clear and firm. “Everyone, out!”

The room emptied in a matter of seconds. Maggie remained seated in her father’s seat. Chuckling to herself at her beloved uncle so flustered and at a loss for words, she raised her legs on the glass table and crossed them at the ankles. It was so satisfying that it made her wonder if the others would react the same way.

“Who are you?”

“I knew you were heartless but I didn’t know you have also lost your senses, Uncle. Or have you gotten too old to remember your niece whom you killed?” she dropped her leg from the table and stood up, walking toward him without fear. Her hatred fueled her courage. She was angry. She had spent half the ride on Asher’s bike thinking about the best way to confront her enemies. Her life was still in danger especially now that she had chosen the hardest way to reveal herself. There was no one she could trust yet all she cared about at that moment was avenging her father’s death. She wanted to savor the slow suffering she would inflict on them.

“Let me refresh your memory, dear uncle. On my wedding day barely 48 hours ago, you lured me and my father, your own uncle who trusted you so much, with the false story that my husband-to-be and his pack had been attacked and when we gullibly believed your lies, you led us to our death.” Her voice rose with her ire. “You stood there while your uncle was beaten and stabbed to death. You watched Lance carve out my father’s heart and held me while he carved mine!”

He cut her flow of words his hands on her throat. He squeezed hard, trying to choke her when the door suddenly opened and Caleb rushed in. Something shiny cut through the air a second before a pen knife embedded itself in Ezekiel’s hand. His grip on her throat loosened and Maggie tugged herself free, rubbing her throat.

“Caleb take this man out of here!”

“Don’t you lay a hand on me.”

“Kill him if you have to. I don’t care how you do just get him out of here now!” she ordered.

Caleb wasted no time doing as she asked. Ezekiel fought him but Noah came into the office and held him down on the ground with his hands behind his back.

“Take him out. I never want to see him again and both of you,” she said to them. “Leave with him. You’re fired. Tell the others to go to hell.”

Ezekiel’s protest overlapped Noah and Caleb’s gasps of surprise. “You can’t do this, Maggie. You don’t know what you are doing. You are a woman. You can’t be Alpha!”

“I know what I am doing,” her voice was hard. “And when I’m through with you Uncle you will beg for death because I will not show you mercy.”