“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
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
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
“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
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
“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
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