Chapter 44
Samuel knocked all the papers off his desk, and the sound of them hitting the floor startled Noah and Evelyn in the office. Because of the meeting, Noah dared not approach his father, until the sharp sound of a knock echoed through the room.
“Come in!” yelled Samuel
Beta Jack came into the office, closed the door then he bows to everyone in the room before walking over to Alpha Samuel with a folder.
“This better be the reported I ask for?”
“Yes, Alpha,”
Samuel opened the folder, the crisp paper crackling as he removed the report, then tossed the pages to the floor, where Noah picked up a sheet and began to read.
“Father can’t be. That land is not going to the vampire, no matter what," Noah stated with a firm voice.
The lab tests even the soil in that area; there is silver at the location where the witch must have done this - there's no other explanation for it being there. Father, is there any possible way we can find a witch to undo this?" asked Noah.
“Yes, I know a witch who would be able to do it,” Samuel said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You don’t think Anthony's ex-lover would do it?”
“Trust me she would do anything. Unless she wants me to keep that secret of hers. I am going to call her right now,”
Samuel sank back into his chair, then pulled out his cellphone and made a call to Maria, Anthony's ex-lover. When he was finished, he rose from his chair and then instructed his Beta Jack to ask the cook to bring them food in the office. Jack left the office, his shoes echoing on the tile as he pulled out his cellphone to make a hushed call to the Vampire King. Alpha Samuel is always trying to find a loophole in the system, which makes everyone after him.
Back at Kathy's household, Anthony got up from the couch to get the food from the delivery guy as soon he was about to come through the door Sarah and Miles came in, and closed the door behind him.
“We were waiting for you two,”
“Amy lived on the other side of the packland, but we make sure she got everything she need. Something does smell good,”
“Ah yes I order us some food, grab some plate, cups and forks,”
“Yes, Sarah and I want to know about the meeting,”
As everyone served themselves and took their places at the dining room table, Kathy topped off each glass of wine, the rich aroma wafting through the air, before finally sitting. Miles opened his tablet, and the women leaned in to study the map of the land Samuel hoped to expand. Then Kathy made the map even bigger because she knows that area very well.
“Wait, you are talking about that place?” said Kathy
“How did you know about this?” said Anthony
"My high school class went camping on this land, and though we had fun, I always heard mysterious sounds, but they never bothered me.
“People would be frightened, believing the sounds were playful boys or mimicking animals. I recall how we used bright lights to keep the wild animals from coming near. A student went into the wood to relieve themselves, and then a high-pitched scream pierced the silence, startling everyone. This boy came out with his pants still down around his ankle coming back screaming that he sees someone with red eyes. The teacher feels like it was too dangerous and had everyone pack their things. But I stay back to take the tent down and put the fire out. I didn’t see nothing once everyone was on the bus, it pulled off,” explained Kathy.
Anthony stated, his voice laced with disbelief, "You would camp there, despite the fact that you know the ground is covered in slivers, and yet, when my father sent men there, they immediately got sick?"
Anthony’s eyes narrowed, sitting in him chair drinking his wineglass.
Kathy tossed the empty containers into the trash with a loud clang after dinner, then she rinsed the plate and fork under the running water. The guys wandered into the living room, the clinking of their wine glasses preceding them as they settled in for the night. Sarah and Kathy walked over into the living room, the sound of chatter filling the air, and sat next to their mates, continuing the meeting discussion until it was time to head home and unwind.
Miles and Sarah exited the house as Anthony shut and secured the door, ensuring all the windows and doors were locked. Before going upstairs to be with his mate, he made sure to pull down the blinds, blocking out the world. Kathy wants to take a bath so she full up the tub with water while she looks herself in the mirror to put her hair into a messy bun. She didn’t find her mother journal it must be in those boxes that she put it in the closet.
She started to remove her clothes and then felt arms around her waist, but when she turned around and saw Noah instead of Anthony, she screamed, pushed him away, and stumbled to the floor. Anthony heard Kathy's scream and raced upstairs, the sound echoing in his ears, to see the balcony door wide open. He seized Noah by the neck, then punched him with such force that the sickening crunch of a broken nose echoed in the air. Knowing he was about to die at Anthony's hand, Noah laughed.
"Anthony, don't pursue him, let him leave," Kathy pleaded.
"I'll break his face for touching you," Anthony yelled, his voice tight with anger.
Kathy warned, her eyes narrowed, “You know the consequences: imprisonment and execution if you go through with that crime.”
"Get out and don't come back or I'll snap your neck!" Anthony screamed.
Noah pushed himself up from the floor, crossed over to the balcony, and leaped over the railing. Anthony checked on Kathy, then moved to the door, which he locked and secured with a chair under the handle. Kathy rose from the floor and hurried to the tub, the sound of gushing water urging her to turn off the tap before it flooded the room. As she sank into the water, Kathy pulled her knee to her chest, pressed her forehead to it, and tried to slow the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat.
Anthony entered the bathroom to find Kathy with her head on her knees; as he undressed and joined her in the tub, embracing her, she startled, and narrowly missed hitting Anthony in the face. Kathy whirled around, her heart pounding, to make absolutely sure it was Anthony standing there.
“It’s okay, he is gone. You are shaking, calm down, I will make sure that he doesn’t come near you again,”
All Kathy could do was nod, clinging to him as a flicker of hope ignited, her anxieties dissolving in the heated water. Anthony nestled his chin on top of Kathy's head and clasped his fingers in hers. As the water grew chilly, Anthony lifted her from the tub, wrapping her in a warm towel, before he, too, got out and pulled the stopper. As Kathy went into the room, she decided against wearing clothes, dried off, and then climbed into bed. Anthony switched off the lights and got into bed after he took off his towel. He tucked an extra blanket around Kathy, ensuring she wouldn't catch a chill, and then he held her close, allowing her to find comfort in his arms.