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
A gentle rain was falling, a few days later, where the four of them stood huddled under umbrellas, around Allison's grave. After all these years, she was finally getting a decent funeral. Galen held Rachel in his arms as Reverend Matthews said a final prayer, her sobs wracking at her body. It was over and Allison was finally free.They went to her house for tea, afterward. Mrs Morris wanted to leave as soon as she could. She wanted to get back to her business in New York. There was a spring in her step, now that it was over. She seemed relieved and happy, moreso after the funeral.A car was waiting for her and Anita and they stood on the porch, saying their farewells."I can never thank you enough, for bringing me closure,"she said. She took Galen and Rachel's hands. "The two of you, and my trusted assistant, have given me something worth more than all the riches in the world. Peace."An
“Why does the lone wolf interest you so much? You’ve cemented your place as Alpha of this town.You don’t need to strengthen your army.”Sophia Bruce turned in the high-backed leather chair behind her desk,in the direction of where the voice was coming from. Of course it would be Stefano,no one else in her pack would have the nerve to stride into her office and demand an explanation.“Forgive me,my Queen.How am I to serve you,if I don’t know the full extent of your involvement with him and his brothers?Why is it so urgent for you to have all of them in Colby’s Cove?”The raven-haired beauty smiled.Perhaps it was time for her most trusted confidante to know the truth.He alone would keep her secret safe.Till this moment,only he knew of the witch’s curse of immortality,which had kept her in this world, for 200 years.“I don’t need them to strengthen my army,Stefano.I need them to strengthen my family.”
Rachel Murray pulled her dark hair from under the beret she was wearing,so it could hang down and add warmth to her freezing ears,against the biting wind in Edgewood Cemetary.Of course Caroline would choose the cemetary of all places to say her final goodbye.As obstinate in death as she’d been in life. “And please tell my dear John,I never meant to remove him as the beneficiary on my policies.I was angry,I thought he was cheating on me. Who could blame me though. He hired a tart 30 years younger as his secretary." Rachel smiled wryly.That was something she could relate to,only in her case it had all been true.For eight months,Peter had carried on with his tart,and when he finally manned up enough to leave her,he crashed and died,hating her. It was in this very cemetary,six months ago,where she’d crossed him over into the Light.The decision to forgive him,had been one of the best she’d ever made.It allowed her to heal,and open herself up to the possibility of falling in love again,w
“What’s with the get-up?”Rachel asked.”Halloween on the other side?” The Angel Of Death rolled her eyes.”My latest…client,shall we say?...He was a lowdown pimp and drug dealer.This was his idea of an angel,carrying him off to paradise.Which,believe me,was not where I took him.” Gabrielle closed her eyes and in an instant,her outfit changed,from the trashy dress,to her more traditional black,hooded cloak. “Stereotype,”Rachel muttered.”Just need a scythe and you’re good to go.” “Scythes are so overrated,”Gabrielle retorted.”No selfrespecting Angel of Death,would be seen dead with one.” Despite her best intentions,Rachel chuckled.Gabrielle was born to the duty of death,as she herself had been born with her gift to cross over the dead.Whenever an Angel Of Death was decommissioned,another took its place,and Gabr
“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