“What happened?” Rachel asked. It pained her to know that Melora was going through a rough patch. Their friendship may have forcefully died down years ago, thanks to her snob of a mother, but that didn’t mean she didn’t still care about her.Melora had always been the outcast of the Channing family. While her older siblings, Jack and Jennifer, were heavily involved in the family’s shipping business, Melora decided she wanted to pursue her own path. Even in high school she’d always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. She was shy, but so remarkably talented and that caused even more friction with her mother and siblings. Their elitist sensibilities were at odds with Melora’s independent, kind nature.They simply couldn’t understand why a billionaire heiress would choose a life of struggle, when she’d been born into a life of absolute privilege. They all turned on her, judging her and berating her every chance they got, but her mother was the worst. The one person who was supposed to
The night Mrs. Landry died…“What are you doing here, Gwyneth? Melora isn’t here, so you have no one to spit your poison at. How did you even get in? We closed an hour ago.”Maggie Landry proudly face the imperious woman before her. Gwyneth Channing was a piece of work. Every so often she would drop by the boutique, merely to berate her daughter. It never dawned on her that Melora was an adult who could make her own decisions.Never in her more than 200 years on this earth, had she ever seen anyone enjoy doling out misery with such passion. Almost as if it were her life’s work to be the town bitch.“Maggie Landry,” Gwyneth slowly said, enunciating her name and making it sound foul. “You truly have seen to it that my daughter hates me, haven’t you? You’ve turned her against me. Just know I will not let this insult slide. I will destroy you and everything you’ve ever worked for.”Maggie scoffed. “Delusional as always. You and you alone are responsible for Melora wanting nothing to do wi
Showered and dressed, Rachel reached not only for her pepper spray, but also the small dagger she kept in her bedside drawer. She sheathed it out of sight beneath her jacket and made her way downstairs.If everything Stefano had told her was true, she didn’t want to take any chances.The dagger was a gift from Becca, after her ordeal at the hands of Sister Evangeline, that dark night at the asylum, when Galen almost lost his life. Becca had found the dagger in a secondhand store and decided they both needed added protection when doing what they did, and bought one for herself too. They’d always thought there was limited physical danger when it came to crossing over the dead, but that night proved their theory wrong, in more ways than one. Not only had the dark spirit trapped her in the asylum, but it also sent mind controlled minions to kill Galen.Walking down the stairs her cell rang and her eyes lit up when she saw Galen’s name. He’d been gone for hours and the silence between th
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
Showered and dressed, Rachel reached not only for her pepper spray, but also the small dagger she kept in her bedside drawer. She sheathed it out of sight beneath her jacket and made her way downstairs.If everything Stefano had told her was true, she didn’t want to take any chances.The dagger was a gift from Becca, after her ordeal at the hands of Sister Evangeline, that dark night at the asylum, when Galen almost lost his life. Becca had found the dagger in a secondhand store and decided they both needed added protection when doing what they did, and bought one for herself too. They’d always thought there was limited physical danger when it came to crossing over the dead, but that night proved their theory wrong, in more ways than one. Not only had the dark spirit trapped her in the asylum, but it also sent mind controlled minions to kill Galen.Walking down the stairs her cell rang and her eyes lit up when she saw Galen’s name. He’d been gone for hours and the silence between th
The night Mrs. Landry died…“What are you doing here, Gwyneth? Melora isn’t here, so you have no one to spit your poison at. How did you even get in? We closed an hour ago.”Maggie Landry proudly face the imperious woman before her. Gwyneth Channing was a piece of work. Every so often she would drop by the boutique, merely to berate her daughter. It never dawned on her that Melora was an adult who could make her own decisions.Never in her more than 200 years on this earth, had she ever seen anyone enjoy doling out misery with such passion. Almost as if it were her life’s work to be the town bitch.“Maggie Landry,” Gwyneth slowly said, enunciating her name and making it sound foul. “You truly have seen to it that my daughter hates me, haven’t you? You’ve turned her against me. Just know I will not let this insult slide. I will destroy you and everything you’ve ever worked for.”Maggie scoffed. “Delusional as always. You and you alone are responsible for Melora wanting nothing to do wi
“What happened?” Rachel asked. It pained her to know that Melora was going through a rough patch. Their friendship may have forcefully died down years ago, thanks to her snob of a mother, but that didn’t mean she didn’t still care about her.Melora had always been the outcast of the Channing family. While her older siblings, Jack and Jennifer, were heavily involved in the family’s shipping business, Melora decided she wanted to pursue her own path. Even in high school she’d always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. She was shy, but so remarkably talented and that caused even more friction with her mother and siblings. Their elitist sensibilities were at odds with Melora’s independent, kind nature.They simply couldn’t understand why a billionaire heiress would choose a life of struggle, when she’d been born into a life of absolute privilege. They all turned on her, judging her and berating her every chance they got, but her mother was the worst. The one person who was supposed to
Galen left before sunrise the following morning, to find his brothers and tell them the truth about their heritage. Watching him drive away, Rachel felt a shiver of apprehension run down her spine. Who knew how Jax and Gustav would react, if Galen was so torn up about it? As the eldest they looked to him for guidance, but if he wasn’t ready to face the truth, that Sophia was their mother, then how would they?Not to mention the inevitable confrontation looming with the Munroes. After everything Sophia told him about them, she could only imagine the ticking time bomb, waiting to explode.The morning was cold and wet and she pulled her fluffy gown tighter around her, feeling in her pocket for her pepper spray. Colby’s Cove was a sleepy, quiet little town, but she preferred to not take any chances, when it came to having to defend herself.The days after Peter’s death were the worst, when any sound would wake her up at night and even her own shadow scared her. She’d been living in survi
“The Munroes were both adulterers, who brought great scandal to our pack,” Sophia casually announced. “Their affair was… quite disturbing. I banished them myself, once it came to light."Galen felt his jaw open and close. Was he really prepared to hear the truth about the people who raised him? Part of him regretted asking Sophia to tell him what she knew about them, but he also needed to understand why they did what they did. Why would they blindly raise three children who weren’t theirs? Were the monthly cheques from Sophia that lucrative? That they would sacrifice their own lives and ambitions to do her bidding?It baffled him to the point of absolute frustration. Yes, he could understand why Sophia sent them away for their own safety, but he couldn’t fathom why she had these people pretend to be their parents. It made no sense. Why had she not been a presence in their lives all these years?She literally left them, with people who he now knew, were two adulterers, banished from
Leaving Galen and Sophia in the living room, under the pretense of making more coffee, Rachel and Stefano found themselves seated opposite each other in the kitchen. From his initial brooding demeanor, he seemed more relaxed now, and Rachel found herself warming towards him. He seemed nice enough and she could tell how protective he was of Sophia. Could they be more than friends? Stefano smirked mischievously. “I will tell you the same thing I told Galen when I met him earlier today. I have the gift of reading minds. Please shield your thoughts from me. And no, Sophia and I are not lovers.” Rachel was mortified, and she felt her cheeks turn red. Galen did not mention that interesting little fact. “I’m sorry, I was just curious. I sensed your closeness when you arrived. You surely know I have certain gifts myself.” Stefano smiled, pulling the scones towards him. “I know, Rachel. You have gifts of second sight, intuition and you can see the dead, as clearly as you see me now. I i
It killed Rachel to see him so broken. In a matter of hours, his entire world had been turned upside down and his heart had been ripped from his chest. She knew it wasn’t Sophia’s revelation alone which was eating at him. What bothered him, was how he was going to break this news to his brothers and the inevitable confrontation between them and the Munroes.These were the people who raised them, begrudgingly, it now seemed, at the behest of their birth mother, and who were paid quite handsomely for it. Sophia was a billionaire heiress, so the money would have been a bottomless pit basically. No wonder the bakery always seemed to do well. Sophia must have had a hand in it.She was perplexed when Galen told her how their business thrived, post 2020, when so many other small businesses floundered and went under, but somehow, their tiny little bakery went from strength to strength. Now it made sense. His biological mother was a part of the elite 1%.Mind-boggling, what having endless reso
“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