Prologue

My name is Katherine De ’Cheney I though life was perfect.

I had a job I loved working at the New York Metropolitan Museum as a Conservator. I was engaged to the love of her life who worked as a Prosecuting Attorney for the biggest firm in New York City. We had met in college, spent several years together and seemed like the perfect couple. Owen Carver and I live in a historic townhouse in upper east side Manhattan. I will never forget the day my life felt like my life had it gone from peace and serene to feel like a volcano erupting, and throwing my life into chaos. I will never forget the moments that followed which lead me to my eternal destiny and the person I never realized had been meant for me all along.

It was a Friday evening. I had just finished working at the museum. We had gotten in some historic relics from France, and I was preparing them to be on display. France is the home of my ancestors. I was excited to work on this project. I wanted to do my ancestors justice by preserving French history and heritage.

I had arrived home early to find him tangled in our bed sheets with his paralegal.  

“What the fuck is this!” I screamed.

They both fell out of the bed. He fell out of her as she screamed in terror, and they fell to the floor. I ran from the room in heartbreak. Shattered and broken, I started to scream hysterically. I looked around the home we had built. I began to take everything that he every gave me. I threw it at them, and I threw it into walls and windows. Owen and his lover were dodging pots, pans, and anything breakable.

“Katie! WHAT THE FUCK!” Owen screams at me. He tries to charge me. I keep on throwing things at him. He keeps dodging me. The harlot is screaming in fear. She runs towards the door in panic. I don’t let her get that far. I grab the girl by the hair as he reaches for me. He pulls my hair. He grips it so hard it hurts.

“Let. Her. Go!” he says with a snarl. I smile evilly back at him. I do not let go as I start shoving her into the wall. Somehow the door opens and I shove her through it.  He releases me and runs towards her. He whirls around and tries to get in my face. I slap him so hard he nearly falls over. He protests and tries to grab me by the throat against the wall. She’s bleeding and crying in her whiney voice. He turns his attention to her. With himself distracted, I step back and slam the door in their faces. Once the door is sealed, she crumbles in hopelessness. Staring at the home they built together, that now lay in shambles. I lay on the floor. I only now notice the cuts on my arms from my rage tyrant. I lift myself up. I go into the bathroom; I find a first aid kit and treat myself. Lucky there’s nothing deep needing stitches.

In my grieving and broken state, I begin to feel faint. I let myself go and pass out. Opening my eyes I feel myself transported into another realm. Standing in front of me is my grandmother’s house which stands in front of a looming property which I dare not go near. The “LeFleur” mansion. A place said to belong to my ancestors from centuries ago. A place that continues to haunt my dreams since a child. Something about this place calls to my soul, it pulls me and begs me to return. The house stands in the Normandy countryside. She feels it in the wind and air, she feels it in the depths of the earth, it’s as if a spirit like a piece of me is locked inside waiting. I stand in the middle of the vast estate, trying to piece together why I am here. Suddenly I feel a presence lurking behind me. A Shadow of a man, shrouded in night. He reaches for my hand beckoning me to come.  I jerk  away from him, I start to walk backwards, never taking my eyes away from the shadow. I feel captivated. I feel my body pulling me towards him. I continue to back away.

“You cannot continue resisting me my dove” he says in silky voice with an old German accent. “Come home to me” he says as if worshiping me. Suddenly, as if he’s the Phantom of the Opera, he’s behind me, holding me. His touch feels like it worships my body. I feel my body responding to him as if relishing in his voice. Something deep inside begins to yearn for his touch, his voice and a hidden desire about him I do not know. I feel myself melting into him. I feel his breath on my ear. His lips upon my neck. My head lolls onto his shoulder as I feel his tongue and lips suck on my neck. I feel myself grow damp. I moan as he moans. Startled at my actions, I back away again, and attempt to flee. Suddenly, I feel stuck, it’s as if the earth glued my feet still. See him coming closer. Right as he retrieves me and caresses my body, I feel startled awake by the sound of someone hurrying away from the door. I scramble to my feet and look out the window yet does not see anyone. All of my energy and emotions from early coming crashing down on me. I look at the clock and realize I had been unconscious for five hours. I try to shake the weird dream from my mind. The more I tries the more I feel pulled towards the man surrounded in shadows.

 “What is wrong me” I tearfully whisper. I was just brutally betrayed by the man I love?! How can I be having erotic dreams of a mysterious stranger?

I decide to call my friend Veronica from college. My roommate and one of my best friends. I need to speak with someone about everything that happened.

“Vera” I whimper while continuing to break more.

“Katie? My god, what happened?”

“It’s Owen, I caught him balls deep in his paralegal assistant”

“Oh my god. That fucking d-bag” she says in rage

“He didn’t even bother to apologize, explain anything. He got upset with me when I threw them out. He tried to hit me in defense of his whore.”

“Sweetie! I am so sorry, you both have been together for so long, I don’t get why he would do this. I have never known him to do this.”

“Unless, he was that good at hiding it. What am I going to do!” Katherine cried in agony.

“Katie, you’re going to get out of there! It holds too many memories.” I sat on the floor as I continued to weep. suddenly  I felt a presence in the room, I couldn’t see anyone, but it felt comforting.

“I think you’re right. I look around here, and all I see is him fucking his assistant.” I said with bitterness.

“Do you own it with him?”

“No. bought it with money I had. We were planning to buy something bigger once we were married, and I would use this as a retreat home when I would have spent long days at the Museum working on artifacts.

“Sell it! Fuck him. The market is good. You’ll get a good price.”

“I’ll sell it and go home to my grandmothers city.  I don’t want to be here for a while. I can always take an extended leave from work for personal reasons.”

“Are you sure. I know what you told me about your ancestral manor, how you nearly died there as a child because wolves tried to attack you? What if the rapid wolves still live in the area”

“Yes. I am not going to go live with her. I can use the money to stay for a while at a hotel or BNB near her. I have been working at the museum for 8 years and never took any holiday.”

“Just be safe”

“I will be”

I hung up the phone feeling a bit better. The man in the shadows from my delusion still haunted my mind.

I took some deep breaths, and I did my best to shove the thoughts away. I still heard his voice saying, “come home my dove.” Something kept nagging at me though ‘Why were they near grandmothers? What was drawing me back there?’ ‘Who was the sinister looking man

I saw in the window as a child right before the wolves charged out of nowhere to attack. Those wolves were as black as night with demon looking eyes. I shuddered, trying not to remember. That home had been the country estate of an ancestor from a long time ago. What darkness was connected to that decaying old house? Why did she feel like something is calling her to return?

I decided to go to sleep and let my tears flow until the morning would come.