"Rachel?"
For a moment, Galen felt alarmed. Perhaps she'd fled after their tryst, but then he noticed her purse and cellphone were still on the nightstand. He breathed deeply in relief. She didn't buck and run. Which could mean only one thing. This was more than a one-night stand and she felt the same way about him, as he did about her.
He sat up in bed, looking around the cabin. She must have gone up to the asylum. Crossing over the dead was her thing, as being a shifter was his.
Galen smiled in the darkness, reliving their encounter in his mind. Of all the women he'd known in his life, none of them affected him as much as Rachel. The sheets were still drenched with the evidence of their passion, but it was so much more than sex. Something about her, brought out a side of him he never knew he had. He would gladly give up his life to protect her and it would all be worthwhile. This must be how Jax felt about M
Two males, one female. The air of hostility surrounding them, was suffocating. They were here to fight, circling all his ways of escape. Female center, the two males angling towards the edges of the porch. All three were grey, with the same distinct black markings on their muzzles. Siblings, no less. Galen centered his concentration as the female shifted into her human form, his muscles tense with the urgency to shift. He could feel his incisors lengthening and his spinal cord straining against his flesh. His every instinct was to attack, before being attacked.The girl before him now, couldn't have been more than twenty. She observed him at an angle, in a crouching position, ready to shift if need be. Her body was covered in tattoos, or as Gustav would have said, her tramp stamps, Galen reflected grimly."What do you want?"Galen asked, his gaze darting towards the snarling wolves on either side of him. They were
When Galen saw the two grey blurs, suddenly coming from either side, he leapt forward at such a speed that he knocked Nora to the ground. In one swift roll, his wolf was free. As the first grey wolf pounced, Galen jumped, aiming for its throat. He caught it, tasting blood as his opponent gave a silent whimper as his life left his body.The golden-brown wolf was in a fury as the second wolf pounced, knocking him down. From the corner of his eye, Galen saw the girl shift into her wolf as her brother's teeth ripped into his flesh. He howled, realising he had the size advantage, drawing strength from his core.Turning his neck at an angle, Galen grabbed a hold of the smaller wolf's front paw, his vice like jaws, biting down until he felt bone crush in his mouth. With a savage growl, Galen was on all fours as the wolf lay next to him, yelping in agony. Before he could finish his opponent, Nora came like a flash, snapping and snarling, throwin
"No!"The piercing scream, from the dark spectre of Sister Evangeline, caused Rachel to sink down against the door, her heart threatening to burst from her chest. Never had she known such fear in the presence of the dead. Is this how she would die?At the hands of darkness, seeking to destroy her?Her head spun, feeling the evil emanating from the spirit before her.Her throat felt constricted, dear God, where was Galen?And then she heard it, an almighty growl coming from the other side of the door. She closed her eyes, sliding away from it, when she heard him, throwing his weight against it.Looking up, she saw Sister Evangeline rising from the rocking chair."We shall meet again, Rachel,and when we do,you won’t be so lucky,"she said ominously, before vanishing, leaving no trace that she'd been there.The wooden door shattered as Galen came through it. Rachel
"Playing hookey?"Rachel attempted to smile as Becca opened the door to her apartment. She saw her sister take in the sight of her uniform."My shift starts at eleven,"Rachel answered. "Becca, I need to talk."Becca took her by the arm, pulling her in. "I've made some tea, come on."Rachel silently trailed behind her sister as they walked to the kitchen. Three days had passed since that night and she hadn't heard a word from Galen.He had taken her words to heart, it seemed. He was done with her. Not only had she put his life in danger, but she'd also broken his heart. It seemed hurt was the one thing she could dole out at lightning speed.Becca handed her a cup and she took it, sipping absentmindedly, not even tasting it."What's wrong, Rachel?Is it about Buck, maybe closing the diner?""I wish it were that simple
Rachel brought her car to a halt at the well beaten path, leading to the asylum. She'd asked Buck if she could come in later and he agreed. Business was slow and she could take all the time she needed."Breathe, Rachel,"she told herself. "You're about to take your little sister's advice and run after a man, who you left in a world of misery."Saying it out loud to herself, didn't make it any less hurtful. What would he do when he saw her?This could all be for nothing. He could easily tell her to take a long walk off a short pier, and he would be justified in his anger.It was true what Becca said. She'd taken the choice away from him, making it all about her and what she wanted in that moment. She didn't give him a chance to decide for himself, what he wanted to do. It was selfish of her and she knew that now.She made her way to his cabin, when she didn't see him in the garden. His tool
Rachel bristled with rage. The nerve of this woman. Mentally, she prepared herself, for a good old-fashioned catfight. There was nothing she would love to see more, than every strand of bleached blonde hair, lying on the floor."So, where is he?"Rachel asked, surveying the cabin and seeing no trace of him. Her heart sank, thinking he might be in the bedroom, awaiting the return of his vixen."He's not here,"the blonde said. She reached for her pack of menthols, offering to Rachel, who declined with a sarcastic smirk.She casually lit one, blowing rings of smoke. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Anita James. An old friend of Galen's from high school. I work for Enid Morris, the woman who owns the asylum. That day you saw us at the diner, was us seeing each other again, for the first time in fifteen years.""Touching, "Rachel replied snarkily. "Your reunion was so spectacular, it led you to his bed."
Allison,the name of the girl in her vision, the one giving birth. Why would she assume the identity of Sister Evangeline? And how did this Anita woman know so much about it?"Wait, hold up,"Rachel said. "You're telling me there's no nun, but there is a girl posing as one. Are you saying I'm being terrorized, by a spirit, with a split personality?"Rachel felt her stomach turn. Of all the things she'd seen in her life as a clairvoyant, this beat all of it, hands down. A mentally disturbed ghost, what more surprises would there be?"In effect, yes,"Anita replied. "There was a Sister Evangeline, working at the asylum to give spiritual comfort to those who needed it. An orderly raped Allison and she birthed his baby. She was a child herself, and Sister Evangeline made sure the baby was put up for adoption. In a rage, Allison killed her, by pushing her over the third-floor balcony. ""How do you know all this?"Rachel ask
Hours passed and Rachel called Buck to tell him she wouldn't make it in at all. He sounded sympathetic as she told him what was going on and she asked him not to say anything to Becca or their mother, until she knew exactly what she was dealing with.A comfortable truce had been reached, between her and Anita, and in spite of herself, Rachel was warming up towards the other woman. Especially when she learned Anita was gay and happily in love with her girlfriend.It irked her that Galen had such drop-dead gorgeous lady friends, but it was par for the course, probably. It would be ludicrous, to think a man like him could have lived like a monk his entire life.She wondered what she would say to him, when he walked through the door, and more importantly, how would he react when he saw her. She rehearsed their coming conversation in her mind, and was still going over it, when the door to the cabin opened, wh
25 Years Ago…The dungeon, located directly beneath the Bruce compound, was shrouded in darkness. It hadn’t been used in years, not since the battle which took place between witches and werewolves, instigated by Vivianne and Klaus, when they attempted to subjugate The Daughters Of The Moon and steal the pack’s power for themselves.Back then, nearly all the cells were in use , filled with captured witches, and all tortured for their crimes against werewolves.The pack’s ruthless way of dealing with their captives, was one of the main reasons the truce came about and had been tenuously in place ever since. The Bellinghams, as the most prominent coven in town, managed to keep the smaller covens in check and greatly helped in maintaining the status quo.Sophia adjusted her eyes to the darkness and searched along the damp walls for a few lanterns to light. She’d sent the two soldier wolves to bring the girl to her. The sooner she acted, the sooner peace would settle in her mind.There wa
“Alive?” Rachel gasped in surprise. “Vivianne’s daughter… is alive? Where the hell is she then? Do you have her locked away somewhere?”She heard Stefano’s sharp intake of breath and when she looked his way, his expression was beyond incredulous. This was all they needed. Another one of Sophia’s secrets.How did she ever expect her sons to accept her as their mother, when a new skeleton tumbled out of her closet, every 5 seconds? Just how many secrets did this woman have?“By the Moon Goddess, Sophie,” Stefano said. “What have you done?”Sophia had the good sense, to at least keep her eyes downcast, in a guarded measure of shame. It was obvious that she never expected this secret to see the light of day. Vivianne spilling the beans, threw an unexpected wrench in her plans, to keep it under wraps.“She’s here, in Colby’s Cove,” Sophia answered. “I’ve been keeping an eye on her, ever since I spared her life. It gives me no pleasure to say, but I indeed planned to kill her, but when I s
Clouds aimlessly drifted across the moon as Rachel pulled up to the Bruce Compound. The guard at the gate let her in without question. It seemed everyone was aware of her position in the Alpha’s son’s life. Even the guards at the boutique the other day, treated her with a high level of respect.Vivianne had vanished before her eyes, in a whirlwind of fire swirling around her. Clearly, she was able to access her magic, while being inside Liz’s body, which made her even more dangerous than what they’d previously thought. The only glimmer of hope in all of it, was knowing that Liz was still in there, too. Stefano met her as she walked up to the front door. From the frown on his face, she could tell he was worried. He also looked tired. Pulling double duty with his two charges, was no mean feat.“Seeing Sophia this late?” he quizzed. “Is there news of Gustav? I was surprised when you called and requested to come here.”Rachel shook her head and gave him a quick recap of her confrontatio
Rachel locked her front door as soon as Becca drove away, leaving with the promise that she would go straight home and lock herself in, too. The thought of asking Sophia for a spare guard crossed her mind again, and she mentally chided herself. It would go against Becca’s trust, and she didn’t want bad blood between them.With Liz gone, Becca was the only family she had.She sauntered to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich and a cup of tea. She’d hardly had an appetite the last few days, but she knew she had to eat to keep her strength up. Galen would be pissed if he thought she was neglecting herself.Her heart broke for him and she didn’t want to add to his worries.Every time they spoke on the phone, he sounded a little more despondent. The search for Gustav was giving up dead ends on all fronts and it was eating away at him. She wished he was home, but finding his brother was important too.Finishing her food, she cleared up and was about to head upstairs, when a familiar voic
“Would you like to make the call?”Sitting in a small diner, Jax froze, mid bite from his burger, glaring daggers at Galen.“Why me? She’s known you the longest, even called you ‘son’.”Galen chuckled. It would take a lot for Jax to get on board with Sophia being their mother, even more than him. His gut told him though, Gustav would accept her with open arms, after giving her a piece of his mind. Between the three of them, Galen was the level-headed one, Jax was prone to indifference, and Gustav was the most forgiving. That’s why he stayed with the Munroes when both his brothers left. He firmly believed they could change, until he saw with his own eyes they wouldn’t so easily.“When we find Gustav, the three of us have to sit down and find a way to deal with this,” Galen said. “This woman is our mother and it’s not something we can or should ignore. At the very least, we all have to table our feelings, her included.”“Why shouldn’t we ignore it?” Jax shrugged. “She ignored us our en
Sitting in his pick-up, Galen wiped at his brow and reached for the bottle of ice cold water next to him. The sun was setting but the heat was still unbearable. Jax and the two tracker wolves were combing the warehouse district and he was on lookout. Not that he wanted to be. He wanted in on the action, but Jax had been on lookout the day before, so it was only fair.Thus far, all their efforts to find Gustav had been in vain, and it was getting more difficult by the minute to remain hopeful.He was grateful to Sophia for sending the two trackers. When he’d spoken to her, to tell her Gustav was missing, he could sense how anxious she was. He still didn’t acknowledge her as his mother though, and neither did Jax, who also briefly spoke to her on the phone. He was equally upset about the deceit and was trying to wrap his head around it.Galen tried to convince him to have Marissa and their daughter, Tamara, go to Colby’s Cove, for their own safety, but he was dead set against it. He wan
One Week Later…“When dad died, it was easier almost. We had a body; we knew he was gone…We could even plan a funeral. Now we don’t even have that…”“Do you think mom is really gone, Rachel? Would she just leave and go without saying goodbye?”Becca’s voice was tinged with sadness and Rachel reached for her hand, where they were sitting on the porch, watching the sunset.The last week had been rough. Since Allison’s revelation that Vivianne had taken control of Liz’s body, everything just seemed to go to hell.Liz had vanished. After coming back to her senses in the boutique, Rachel immediately called Becca and they rushed to Liz’s house, only to find her gone. They had no idea where she was or what Vivianne was planning to do.Sophia had the entire town combed by her best guards and even she came up with nothing. It was as if Liz had disappeared from the face of the earth.To make matters even worse, Gustav was still missing. Galen wanted to come back home the second he heard, but s
“Who’s Allison? Rachel, what’s going on?”Melora sounded as confused as Rachel felt. Why was Allison’s voice, coming forth from Mrs Landry’s corpse? There was no rational explanation, and Rachel motioned Melora to calm down.“She’s someone I helped cross over a while ago…she went into the Light. I have no idea why, or even how, she’s here now.”The creature struggled against her chains until she’d pulled herself into an upright position. She was struggling to form words, that much Rachel knew. Allison was in a body that wasn’t her’s. Controlling it, was almost an exercise in futility.“Come out Allison,” Rachel urged. “Tell me why you’re in this woman’s body. This is wrong, and you know it.”The corpse began to convulse and bile dripped from her deformed lips. Melora stepped back in horror, covering her mouth with her hand as if trying to contain a scream, threatening to erupt from deep within her.A soft glow appeared before them, and took shape, until Allison was fully formed.“Forg
The morning rain kept people at home. The town square was quiet as they passed through it and when the boutique came into sight, Rachel said a silent prayer of protection. She could only imagine the magnitude of what they would find inside. This wouldn’t be her first time coaxing a spirit out of a vessel, but the first involving a werewolf. She noticed that Stefano’s demeanor had changed from when they left home. He seemed pensive and she knew he was worried about Melora.“Thank you,” he said, “for doing this. I know this isn’t how you envisioned your day off.”“I’m glad you asked me. It’ll be nice to see Melora again, even if it’s under these circumstances.”It occurred to her that she missed the friendship they once shared. Growing up, Becca and Melora were basically the only friends she had. Doing what they did, made the Banning girls loners, and to some, outsiders even. But not to Melora. She gave her friendship unconditionally, perhaps because she too, felt like an outsider most