Running from an abusive husband and stepfather, Agnes and Cassandra flee to Wolf Creek where Connor, the young alpha takes them in much to the elders' disapproval. Humans are not welcome in a werewolf pack. But Cassandra is Connor's fated mate. The only problem is, she doesn't know that she is a werewolf and the beta's daughter. The story revolves around four characters who face their individual challenges and emotional problems.
View MoreCASSANDRA
Was there such a thing as destiny? I’ve often wondered about it. Were our lives really planned out from birth to our imminent death, or was it just purely coincidence and our own actions that determined our fate?
Decide for yourself. I still can’t.
But what happened three days ago was the turning point that changed my life, not just mine, but all of ours, even the people that I didn’t even know existed. All our lives changed as the result of one minor act of defiance. Well, alright, it wasn’t all that minor.
*****
“Hurry, Cassie! Before he wakes up.” The frantic woman screaming at me was my mother, Agnes Morelli, née Browne. She hurried from the kitchen, her heels rapping a tattoo over the tile floor. Two black bags in hand, she rushed upstairs, while I marveled at the blood pooling at my feet.
I stared down at the inert body of my stepfather with mixed emotions. “Are you sure he’s not dead?” Would it be a loss for humanity if he were? Certainly not.
The brass naked woman I hit him with lay to one side, her pedestal bloodstained. She didn’t break. Lucky for her.
“No, I checked. He’s still breathing.” Agnes shouted down at me from upstairs. I heard cupboards opening and shutting as she presumably grabbed clothing and fuck knows what.
Where would we go? I guess I wasn’t thinking about it when I hit the bastard.
A few hours ago
He was late, as usual. Dinner was getting cold. She made his favorite: roast chicken and potatoes with vegetables. She was always trying to please Frank, but nothing we did ever pleased Frank. He always found something to belittle her or me.
“Let’s eat and you can go out, Cassie. You don’t have to stay until he comes home.” Mom said, dishing up for us.
“Are you sure, Mom? You know how he gets.” I voiced my concerns, positive he would come home drunk and argumentative. We’ve been through this before.
Why she stayed with him for seven years was beyond me. He was a real piece of work. I didn’t know my father who died before I was born, but I was sure that he wasn’t like Frank Morelli at all.
We were doing fine on our own until he came into our lives. Agnes had a good job, and I had the neighbors looking after me while she was at work at the restaurant. Life was perfect. Then he came and swept her off her feet.
What the hell was she thinking? Mom was pretty and kind, with chestnut brown hair and sparkling brown eyes. She had a delicate figure too for her age, even though she was pushing forty. She could have any man she wanted, but she settled for the scumbag Morelli. Ignoring the gossip going around Miami that he was into some shady business. Money was in no short supply. We didn’t want for anything. But it came at a price. He owned us.
For years I had been afraid of him, but as a teenager, that changed. I despised him. The older I got, the worse it got. Recently I began feeling antsy, like something was scratching at the surface, trying to get out. Every time I saw him, the resentment got stronger. The beast under the surface wanted to claw its way out, to tear out Frank Morelli’s throat. Maybe I should talk to Agnes about it, get some help. I would wake up in the middle of the night sure I heard someone calling my name. I thought it was because of the stress of cramming for mid-terms and Frank breathing down my neck. A night out would take the edge off.
I took my time changing into a tight-fitting black off-the-shoulder dress, did my make-up and left my wavy auburn hair loose. Slipping my stilettos on, I went downstairs to eat dinner with Agnes. I was on my way to the new club that opened in town where my girlfriends would meet up with me for a night of dancing and, hopefully, meeting someone nice.
We had just finished our dinner when he staggered into the kitchen, the smell of stale cigarettes and whiskey wafting towards us. It made my stomach churn with disgust.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going, Cassandra?” His broad shoulders blocked the doorway as he scrutinized me from top to toe. “Dressed like a cheap slut!”
“I’m going out, Frank,” I told him and tried to push past him. I was no longer a child to be pushed around. His smell surrounded me, caged me in.
“Like hell you are! Get your ass back upstairs!” He shoved me, and I staggered, catching the side of the kitchen table to regain my balance. “Dressed like that, you’re going nowhere!” he sneered at me, dark eyes narrowed like that of a predator.
“The fuck Frank! You can’t tell me what to do!” I seethed with righteous anger. Fuck him, he was not my father. I pushed past him into the lounge. My car keys were on the bureau next to my clutch.
The plan was to get out of there before he could stop me. But then I heard Agnes stand up to him and I froze.
“Frank, let her go. She is seventeen years old. Stop treating her like a child,” she pleaded, her voice trembling with fear.
“Damn it…” I muttered, knowing what would come next. I couldn’t leave her alone with him. Not again.
I heard her yelp of pain and turned around to go back. He had her by the hair, pulling her along to the lounge. Her eyes teared up, but she dared not make a sound. Frank was tall, my mother’s petite frame dwarfed by him as he manhandled her.
“Don’t undermine me, Agnes!” he slurred the words. “While she’s living under my roof, she’ll do as I say, and I won’t take her disrespect!” With every word, he shook her like a dog with a toy.
The anger that welled up from the pit of my stomach was an acid of fire consuming everything in its path, seeing her helpless like that. “Hey, asshole! Leave my mother alone.” My shaking fingers curled around the nearest object, a brass statue of a naked woman. No more would I let him hurt my mother.
Dark eyes snapped to mine. He shoved Agnes away from him. She landed on the floor in a pitiful heap.
“Think you’re all grown-up now? You want to take me on, little girl?” Frank jeered; his face contorted into an ugly wolfish snarl. “Want to hit me?” He staggered towards me, goading me by beckoning to me. “C’mon then!”
Anger fueled my strength, and I lashed out. The statue caught him on the side of his head with a sickening crunch. He crashed to the marble floor like a felled redwood. I was vaguely aware of Agnes screaming. Bile threatened to rise in my throat, but by some miracle I didn’t throw up. The statue slid out of my hand, landing near his head.
****
At present
“Don’t just stand there, for God’s sake! He could wake up any moment.” Agnes shoved a bag into my hands. She grabbed the car keys and my clutch, carefully stepping over Frank’s still form. Her shoes made small red dots over the white marble floor as we made our way towards the front door.
Maybe it was shock, this out-of-body experience that I was having, like I was floating near the ceiling and staring down at this little drama. Or maybe it was just elation. I had stopped him from hurting Agnes and now we were making our escape.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I followed Agnes to my car, a bright yellow Honda E. I kept looking at the front door, expecting Frank to come charging at us. But he never did.
“As far as we can get. Do you have the pink slip for your car?” she asked as she dumped the bags into the boot before getting in behind the wheel.
“Yes, why?” I took the passenger seat as if in a trance.
“It’s too conspicuous and where we’re going, they don’t use electric cars.” I wasn’t used to this take-charge kind of behavior of hers. She was usually so timid, or maybe that was just how Frank made her appear.
She reversed the car out of the driveway, maneuvering it like a pro. I have never seen her drive, didn’t even know she had a license. Frank was always the one driving her around. He only got me the car because it was too much of a hassle driving me to and back from college.
****
Who was this woman, Agnes Morelli? She sold my car. It surprised me how easy it was to get rid of it and it surprised me even more that I didn’t even feel sad to see it go, although the car salesperson was a shark, giving us a lemon to replace my pristine Honda.
“Will this thing get us to where you’re taking us, Mom?” I had to voice my doubts.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she asked me for my cellphone. I handed it to her, and, to my utter horror, she threw it out of the window onto the freeway. I watched it bounce three times before it hit barriers and disintegrated.
“Mother! Why the fuck did you do that?!” I yelled.
“We’ll get burner phones. Wouldn’t want him to trace us, now, would we?” she gave me a Cheshire cat grin. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe we’re finally free of Frank Morelli!” she laughed.
CassandraAiden was such a delightful baby. Connor and I watched him while he played in the living room with the toys Connor had brought him. He attracted so much attention, especially from the females who couldn’t get enough of his charming smile. Like father, like son. There was no mistaking who he took after. I couldn’t think of him as Stacy’s baby at all. He was Connor’s, and that was that.And Connor was so sweet to him. Watching them, my big alpha sitting next to the tiny toddler on the carpet playing with building blocks. I had a permanent smile on my face. He loved that little boy; it was obvious from how his face shone whenever he looked at him.“Hey, you.” Connor held his hand out to me. “Come join us.”I was about to when all hell broke loose. Shouting, doors slamming, women screaming. Then there were howls coming from the basement. More howls echoed from outside. My skin broke out in goosebumps. Were we under attack?Connor sat frozen for a few seconds. We stared at each o
JoelI clutched the folder and pen in one hand, the other held Agnes’ hand. Frank looked like shit, and he should. The guards made sure he received no special treatment.“I want a divorce, Frank,” Agnes repeated, because he didn’t answer her. It was like he didn’t understand the words. He stared at her with a blank face.But then he snapped out of it. His eyes roamed over our linked hands and landed on the folder I had. “Will you… will you let me go then?” His voice was hoarse and full of expectation.“Sure,” I answered, and Agnes gave me a sidelong glance, her eyes wide and full of questions. Of course, the only place he’d be going was straight to hell. But he didn’t know it yet.“Agnes, I’m sorry. I love you, you know that.” Manipulating till the end. He was good, I gave him that. “I was good to you and Cassie, wasn’t I?”His whiny voice got on my nerves. Good to them? I let out a growl and moved closer to the bars, leaving Agnes’ hand. Frank took a step back.“You never loved me, F
AgnesI used to love gardening, the smell and the grittiness of the soil under my fingers. Frank never used to let me tend the flowers or the vegetable patch. “We have people for that,” he used to say. I had to look perfect always. Perfectly manicured nails, no hair out of place. If he could only see me now, kneeling in the dirt between the rows of vegetables at the back of Joel’s house- our house- he’d probably have thrown a fit. Probably dragged me by the hair to the bathroom. I shuddered when a shadow fell over me and the old familiar fear gripped my heart. But when I looked up, it was just Joel. Joel, smiling at me with tenderness.“There you are,” he said and helped me up. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He didn’t care that my hands were dirty. He pulled me in for a hug and I relaxed in his arms, feeling the beat of his heart calming mine.I protested, pulling away slightly. “I’m all sweaty and…”“And beautiful and mine,” he finished my sentence. He kissed the tip of my n
“You’re letting her off easy, Connor,” Joel said as we walked to the SUV. “After what she put our mates through.” Joel wasn’t thinking clearly.“You’re wrong. No pack will accept her, and she would have to run for the rest of her life. Killing her would have been merciful.” I put Aiden in the baby seat and strapped him in. He pulled a face but smiled when I gave him the bear again. “Good boy,” I told him. “We’ll be home soon, and everyone will spoil you rotten.”I drove off, watching my son in the rearview. Soon he fell asleep.Joel spoke after a while. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just… Every night I wake up hearing Agnes crying in her sleep, begging Frank to stop and I want to rip him to pieces. Not just him, Lyon, Stacy, all of them.”We still had to deal with Frank and the rest. “Yes, I feel the same. Mostly, I blame myself as well. If I had listened to you…” I turned to look at him. “Do you also want to rip me to pieces?”He thought about that for a time, frowning deeply. “
ConnorAiden slept peacefully after our shopping excursion in the new stroller, hugging the toy bear I couldn’t resist buying. Dressed in clean clothes and his tummy full, he was content, and I felt less angry. I couldn’t take my eyes off his angelic face. He was so perfect it made my heart ache. The four of us waited in Maxwell’s cold office.A short while later, the vampire breezed into the room, his black robe slung over one shoulder. “I apologize for keeping you waiting,” Maxwell took one look at the stroller and back at me, lifting a quizzical brow, “I’m sure it hasn’t been that long? Have I missed something?” He hung his court robe in its place on the coat rack.“Not more than I did, Maxwell.” I shot an accusatory look at Stacy and she hung her head. “I recently found out I am a father.”“My, my… Well, congratulations.” He added, “Or not?” scratching his temple.“He is mine, there is no doubt. But that is not why I am here, Maxwell.” Originally, I wanted him to represent me at t
Cassandra I needed to run. There was still this itch underneath my skin, like something was trying to claw its way out of me. Sage told me it was normal. But it made me restless. I sprinted to the training grounds, only to reverse course and run back towards the pack house.Who was I kidding? I had hoped to see Connor, and he wasn’t there. He hadn’t come to talk to me since the previous night and I couldn’t reach him over the mind link. This, not knowing where we stood, it was killing me. Yes, I was insecure. No matter what Joel said, trying to reassure me that nothing would change between Connor and me, I found it hard to believe. I needed to hear it from his lips.It wasn’t Connor I found in the garden in front of the pack house, but his mother. She was pruning the roses and looking elegant while doing it, gloves and all. Not a hair out of place and there I was, sweating like a horse and my unruly hair up in a ponytail.“Oh, Cassandra,” she greeted with a smile. “A moment, please.”
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