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
Rachel gently pulled away from him, the excitement of the moment, overshadowed, by the lurking threat of Allison. Part of her was jumping for joy, while another was almost cringing in fear. She couldn't forget how terrified she was, that night in the asylum. The spirit was intent on killing her that night, and Galen too. The memory of him, lying bruised and battered in her arms, was almost too much to contemplate and she struggled to focus on the problem at hand."You okay?"he asked. "There's no more secrets between us, Rachel. It’s us against the world, and my money's on us."She smiled at the assurance in his voice. This man had no need for deception, or hidden agendas. He was honest to a fault. "It’s still a frightening prospect, Galen. Going up against this spirit won't be easy."He led her to the couch. "I know, but I hope that what I learned from Mrs Morris, can help us defeat her."Rachel looked at him
"No, please don't do this!""You have to be stopped Allison, once and for all!"Allison struggled in vain as the two men violently grabbed her, pushing her to the ground. Next to her, she saw the young boy, his neck broken and her face bleeding from where he'd scratched her as she strangled him, before ending his life."Hold her steady, "one of the men commanded. The other one sat down on top of her, pinning her with his weight.The one who'd spoken, gagged her, then tied her hands and feet with rope.They dragged her outside, in the dead of night, with her struggling in vain against them. Her white dress tore and ripped with the force of their anger."You will suffer, as you made others suffer, at your hand. "Allison's eyes widened in terror, as they rolled her into the open grave, and the last thing she felt, was dirt being heap
Days Later. . . ."Rachel, are you sure you don't want me to come up there and help?"Rachel switched her cellphone to the other ear. "Yes, Becca. I'm sure. I don't want you to be here. We don't know what will happen when we confront Allison."Becca sounded agitated. "All the more reason for me to be there Rachel!""No,"Rachel said firmly. "This is my fight, Becca. I want you to stay out of it. I need you to be safe."When the call ended, Rachel stuck her cell in her jeans' front pocket, watching Galen and Anita walk up the pathway. Mrs Morris was with them, her face set in a mask of grim concern. After introducing her to Rachel, the four of them went to the cabin, where Rachel had made a fresh pot of coffee."I always knew, it would someday come to this,"the grey-haired woman said, in her crisp English accent. "My entire life has been defined by this woman, a
"I imagined buying this place, would give her a sense of peace, make her believe a part of me was with her,"Mrs Morris said. "I had no idea the darkness she dealt with, was so powerful."She was still visibly shaken from seeing her mother's remains and Galen pulled Rachel outside, to the porch, while Anita did her best to offer some comfort."I can't even begin to think what her life was like, being haunted for so long,"Galen said. "I think it was meant to be that you showed up here Rachel. You were meant to help her, to free her and give Allison peace."Rachel stared lovingly into his eyes. "A werewolf, believing in destiny. Now that's something new."He kissed her on the lips. "I'm not kidding Rachel. This is what you do, and I'm glad I'm here to see you do it."Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "I'm glad you're here to love me,"she said softly.He pulled her
They converged on the steps, leading up to the asylum. Rachel, Anita, Mrs Morris and the golden wolf. Galen had already shifted. They'd agreed he would be in his wolf form, in case of an attack. Anita stood with a canister of kerosene and a box of matches. If push came to shove, she would be the one to light the fire."It feels strange,"Rachel said, "knowing this will soon be over. Not that I'm complaining!"Anita chuckled nervously. "I've never attended one of these before. And hopefully, I never will again."Rachel gave her a warm smile. "Thanks for being here Anita. I was a bitch to you that day we met, and I'm sorry.Jealousy is definitely not a good look on me.""No worries,"Anita replied. "Just make Galen happy.He’s been through so much and I really feel you’re the one who can heal his heart and he will do the same for you."He walked up to Rachel, nudging her with his head. Sh
“There’s a large number of witches entering Colby’s Cove, but we’re on it. I’ve sent an emissary to the Bellingham compound, reminding them that our treaty will be respected at all costs. It seems the old witch, Collette Bellingham, is throwing a ball for her birthday. Why, she alone knows. She's older than dirt."Sophia smiled, listening to Stefano update her on the goings on in town, but truth be told, her mind was on everything but the party the witches were planning. For 25 years, an uneasy peace had lingered between her pack and the Bellingham coven, ever since she made sure that every supernatural faction in town, knew that she and she alone reigned supreme.She'd wiped out Vivianne's coven and anything and anyone else who supported her diabolical ideals. The Bellinghams, although witches, had not supported Vivianne, and a treaty had been signed, in blood, under the full moon, ensuring peace.Younger members on both sides, still tried to stoke discord every now and then, but the
After finishing their cereal, Rachel and Becca headed out to the porch with their coffee. The thunderstorm was abating, and had changed to a soft and comforting drizzle. The smell of the rain warmed her heart and as they sat down on the swinging lounger, Rachel inhaled deeply, savoring the sensation it awakened in her.Becca playfully shoulder bumped her.“Since we were kids, this was always your favorite kind of weather. I remember how you used to open every window and door, to Mom's chagrin."“It gives me peace,” Rachel smiled. “And the forecast looks like rain for the whole week, so I am in my element.”“Dad loved it too…”Becca’s voice trailed off in sadness at the mention of their dad. Rachel scooted closer, pulling Becca into an embrace. The memory of their father's death, was still so raw for them. He died, doing what he loved though. Saving lives.After his death, the city even honored him posthumously, with a medal of valor. That was the day, when it really sunk in, that he w
When Rachel came downstairs, Becca had already started a fresh pot of coffee. The smell of it lingered in the air, and Rachel realized she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since the previous day. Her stomach rumbled, and she reached for the cereal, as Becca prepared their cups.“You look so much better today,” Becca teased. “A good night’s sleep and a hot wolf can do wonders.”Rachel smiled. She couldn’t disagree with Becca on that point. Even while asleep, she was aware that Galen had held her in his arms all night long.She was always aware when he did that. Him holding her, provided her with a sense of safety, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The contrast to what they had, and what she had with Peter in their ill-fated marriage, was almost blinding in hindsight. For Peter she had never been enough, but for Galen, she was his world.Their talk the night before had also helped in easing her mind. Now that Galen knew everything, it would be so much better to face
Momentarily, Galen was at a loss for words. Did Sophia just say their own father wanted them dead? What nightmare was he trapped in? A long lost mother and now a murderous father. It seemed almost absurd, but the earnest look on Sophia’s face, assured him, it was anything but.“Your father was an Alpha too. I believed he loved me and our family, but everything had been a lie. He was power hungry, and planned to subjugate The Daughters Of The Moon. He wanted to eradicate our matriarchal line, and meld our pack into his. We fought many battles once the truth came out. He was even in league with witches, to help him destroy us. When he realized he was weaker than I was, he tried to hurt me the only way he knew how. Through my babies.”Her voice drifted off. Galen could see how much the memory of the betrayal hurt her. She must have loved him deeply. He softened a bit, and when he spoke, his tone was much kinder.“He tried to kill us?”“Yes, he did. The compound was fortified, so he used
“My son?”Repeating the words Sophia had just spoken, Galen felt a sense of dread, and cold shivers running up and down his spine. What game was the Alpha playing? Why would she make such a ludicrous statement?“Yes,” Sophia softly replied. “I am your mother, Galen. As well as the mother of Jax and Gustav. I can only imagine how this news must sound to you.”Galen snorted, pulling back from her. He ran his fingers through his hair as his mind tried to comprehend what the Alpha had just told him. It was a lie, it had to be. How could she be their mother? Had their whole lives been some convoluted plot?If this were true, so many things would make sense. His parents’ coldness towards them. The way they treated them as if they were strangers at times, and not their own flesh and blood.Could this be true? Were they not the sons of Brian and Anna Munroe?The quickening of his pulse alerted him to the fact that he had to calm down. His body, tense and taut, was trying to shift, as a way
It was raining, when Galen arrived at the Bruce Compound, the following morning. He zipped up his jacket as he made his way to the front door. In light of Enid's death, Sophia Bruce had sent him a text the previous evening, requesting to see him. Inwardly, he wondered if the Alpha had plans to fire him, but he remembered Enid saying she was a good person. Perhaps this meeting was just a formality for them to officially meet? Other than that night, when she'd saved his life, he'd never had any contact with her again.The door was opened before he could even knock. From the looks of the man, who introduced himself as Stefano, Galen surmised he had to be of high rank, within the pack. The fading scars on the left side of his face and the deeper scars in his neck, surely from a wolf bite, indicated he was either a warrior wolf, or perhaps even a Beta."I am her second in command and her highest ranking general," Stefano said. "Guard your mind, Mr Munroe. I can read your thoughts."Galen c
Waking up, Rachel smiled contentedly, knowing she was in her own bed. She rubbed her eyes and stretched , trying to remember the dream she had. Why did it seem so fuzzy? She recalled falling asleep while everyone was in the room, and then she remembered speaking to someone in her dream, but for the life of her, she couldn’t think who it could be. Turning, she found Galen asleep beside her. His chest rose with each breath and she gently placed her hand over his heart, his closeness giving her comfort. His eyes opened and when he saw her, he pulled her into a tender embrace, kissing her and holding her close to him. She rested her head on his bare chest, the sound of his heartbeat in her ear. Was this man, this wonderful man, really the target of a dark faction, all because of her? How could anyone even dream of hurting him? “You scared me,” he whispered into the darkness. “I would not make it in this world without you. Do you know that?” She inhaled his scent, and held him tigh
Their voices, sounding slightly disorientated, came through to her as if from the depths of a cold fog, sweeping some desolate countryside. Odd, but comforting. “Fucking hell, how did this happen? And why isn’t she waking up?”Galen …“I had no idea leaving her there would lead to this.”Becca…“The spirit wanted her life. It wanted my baby’s life…”Her mother…Rachel wanted to open her eyes, wanted to see them, but her eyelids felt heavy, as if opening them would be the most monumental of achievements. What happened? Why was she feeling so powerless?Slowly, her fragmented memories became whole while listening to them. The dark spirit attacked her, trapped her in some vile illusion, using her father’s memory as a weapon to attack her and make her lose her mind. She heard the heaviness of her breathing, felt the heightened racing of her heart as she recalled every moment of its demented plan. What did it want? Why torment her in this way?“How did you know Liz?” Galen asked, the angu
Black widow… Rachel braced herself against the accusing tone in the spirit’s voice as she pulled her gaze away from Galen’s animated corpse. This was a trick, nothing more, designed to throw her off guard. “I know none of this is real,” Rachel said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. “I grow tired of your games.” Her words were met with a bitter peal of laughter as the doll looked at Galen and reached out its fingerless, stitched hand, to smear the bloody tears across his face. “Perhaps,” it answered, “or maybe a foretaste of what’s to come. Watching your life fall apart is almost more pleasurable than killing the wolf.” Enraged, Rachel reached out to grab it, but it was lightening fast. It was out of her reach in a split second. “Twisted bitch! What do you want from us?” Rachel spun around at the sound of its almost maniacal laughter. It was sitting in the front pew, intently gazing at her. When its laughter final