The life- altering night of the accident, Peter wasn't leaving on a business trip as everyone assumed. He was abruptly ending their marriage. He was on his way to meet the skank he'd been carrying on with for the last eight months, when he'd lost control of his sedan. He veered off the road and slammed into a tree. He'd lingered in hospital for a few hours, just long enough, not to ask her forgiveness, but to tell her that marrying her was the worst mistake of his life."Did you ever love me?" she asked, too broken to even cry. He'd attempted to smile arrogantly, but it was more of a smirk. His lower lip had been ripped apart."Never, " he croaked hoarsely. "You were a means to an end. . . "Before she had a chance to respond, he'd gasped his last breath, amid an air of cruelty.
"You're not interested in hearing what I have to say?" Peter asked.Rachel paused. She usually was, when crossing over the dead. She listened to their final words, and passed on their messages to their loved ones, but in her husband's case, all she wanted to do was get away from him. Even in death, he was bent on making her life difficult."If you expect me to carry a message of undying love to your whore, then think again, Peter.”In a split second, he was before her, blocking her way. He was dead of course, so she could have just walked through him, but that would bring a fresh set of complications. Walking through his ethereal form, would give her access to his emotions and she didn't feel like reliving the contempt he felt for her. "Mindy's a good woman, Rachel. "Rachel scoffed. "Mindy. . . what is she?A stripper?Even her name sounds trashy.I’m surprised she isn’t here,j
Galen Munroe yawned as he turned off onto the dirt road leading to Cranston Asylum. His rickety old pickup truck struggled to maintain an even pace on the dirt road and the jolting, irritable as it was, served to focus his concentration. He'd been driving for six hours to reach this place, situated deep in the woods of Colby's Cove and knowing he was going to be alone, brought a smile to his lips.He couldn't wait to shift and run free through the woods. His wolf cried out for release inside of him and he hadn't hunted in almost a week. That's how long he had been outcast from the pack. It had been one week, since his family had turned their backs on him."You are a disgrace to this pack and this family,"his father had said, disgust in his voice. "How will you lead someday if you allow your heart to think for you?" It was hard to look at the dark-blond man with green eyes. It was almost like looking in a mirror.
The sun was setting when the golden-brown wolf returned to the cabin. Galen howled as he shifted back into his human form and ran, naked, into the cabin. It was small, but comfortable and it had all the basic amenities. Earlier, he'd found the keys exactly where the owners had said they'd be, hidden under the welcome mat at the door.Galen jumped into the shower, allowing the hot water to soothe his aching muscles. He'd pushed himself to the limit during his hunt and far from being dissatisfied with his aching body, he felt free.For so long he'd been bound to his parent's pack, following orders and this was his first real taste of true freedom in all of his thirty years. He no longer had to bow and follow; he was coming into his own and could finally live his own life.When he stepped out of the shower, Galen wrapped a towel around his waist and reached for his cellphone. He had a signal and remembered
Of all the things Rachel had expected to find in Cranston Asylum, a half-naked man was not one of them. She had to admit, he was extremely handsome, with a boyish twinkle in his green eyes and tousled dark blond hair. Her gaze travelled over his sculpted chest and for a moment she wondered if he might be a male model, but what would such a fine specimen be doing in Colby's Cove, the hotbed of supernatural activity in the western hemisphere?When he lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the relentless glare of her flashlight, Rachel cast all fantasies aside."You're a shifter,"she announced casually. "Should have known. ""How did you?"he asked and she motioned with her head toward his hand. His nails had grown and his hands and arms were covered in golden-brown fur."What kind?"she asked, watching the tell-tale signs disappear, until he was completely human again."Wol
More than a week had passed since Peter's funeral and Rachel was preparing for her first day back at work. Buck had graciously given her some time off and she had to admit, she was excited to get back there. Sitting around the house wasn't her style. And now she had so much more to think about other than crossing over spirits. With Peter gone, she would have to clock up major overtime and double shifts, to make ends meet. He'd left her with nothing, not even an insurance policy to cover the tough times ahead. If only she never met him!She considered selling some of the antiques her late Aunt Tilly had left her and there were a few nice pieces of jewellery she could pawn too. Her wedding ring was at the top of the list. Hell, she'd paid for it herself, so she could do whatever she wanted with it.She even considered selling the house, but that would mean one of two things. Move in with Becca or move in with her mother and neither was a via
Galen wiped at his brow with the back of his hand, throwing the shovel to the ground and sat down in the shade of the nearest tree. Just barely after eight in the morning and already the sun was beating down like it was noon. He reached for the bottle of ice-cold water next to him, taking long, deep gulps to alleviate some of the burning discomfort in his parched throat.He'd cleaned up the garden pretty well, this last week. He'd also cleared most of the weeds, mowed the lawn and dug up a few very suspicious looking plants. He'd resolved that when he was finished cleaning up, he'd fix the beautiful angel fountain in the middle of the garden. He didn't know why, but it fascinated him.Almost as if he was drawn to it.He had to get the place in decent viewing order. Some of the investors would arrive in a month's time and the owners expected him to at least get the garden in a respectable state. He didn't mind the backbreaking work; they w
"And you're only telling me about this now?"Becca looked fit to be tied as they stood outside the diner while Rachel was on her break.Business was indeed slow. For the entire morning, they'd served three customers and the heaviness in her heart, at the prospect of possibly losing her job, just added to all the stress she was under. And now this."Becca, come on. You know as well as I do, that spirits aren’t always the most reliable source of information. And if there was indeed a Sister Evangeline, bent on coming after me, why hasn't she?"Becca scoffed, pouting and twirling her dark curls. A habit from childhood she never quite shook."We also know, that when they issue dire warnings, sometimes they come true. Have you been back to the asylum again?""No, "Rachel answered, averting her eyes. "I haven't had the time. "Which was a complete lie of course. Now that her work schedule
“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