11. Sadie
ELEVEN
SADIE
The day had been a whirlwind of activity at the daycare, with kids engaged in various games and crafts. I was in the midst of helping the little ones with their art projects when Charlene approached me.
“Sadie,” Charlene said with a concerned expression, “we’re all out of milk for the snacks. I’m not sure how it happened, but we’ll need more soon.”
I looked around at the busy children and nodded. “No problem, Charlene. I can run to the store and grab some milk. We can’t have our little ones going without their snacks.”
Just as I made the offer, my attention was drawn to Gregory, my sweet and spirited boy, who was busy playing with Mookie.
Gregory looked up at me, his eyes filled with enthusiasm. “Mom, can I come with you to get the milk? And can we bring Mookie for a walk?”
I couldn’t help but smile at his request. “Of course, sweetheart. It sounds like a plan. Let’s make it a fun outing.”
We quickly gathered our things, making sure we had Mookie’s leash and Gregory’s little backpack. The three of us were ready for a quick trip to the store to restock our milk supply and enjoy a leisurely walk with our furry friend.
We strolled along the familiar route, with the bustling town around us and the gentle breeze ruffling our hair. It was a moment of tranquility that should have brought comfort, but an eerie sensation began to crawl down my spine.
A strange, prickling sensation, like an egg yolk trickling down my back, sent shivers through me. The paranoia that had haunted me since Brian’s unsettling presence had returned with a vengeance, and now, I was certain it was somehow connected to him.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched or followed, that Brian’s influence was lurking in the shadows, ready to strike. The unease gripped me, and I instinctively grabbed Gregory and pulled him closer to me, as if shielding him from an unseen threat.
Gregory looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, sensing the tension in the air. He squeezed my hand, a silent gesture of reassurance, and I forced a smile, attempting to dispel the ominous feeling that hung over us. He hadn’t been back to the daycare ever since James warned him not to, but I wouldn’t put it past me to follow me here.
“We should speed up a bit,” I whispered to Gregory. “We don’t want to leave Charlene alone with the children for too long.”
I could feel a pit forming in my stomach, a mix of dread and frustration. What the hell was wrong with me? I couldn’t shake this worry off however hard I tried. I almost wanted to call James, to have him reassure me. But I wasn’t going to if I didn’t need to. He had a lot of his own dramas going on, he was still trying to rebuild everything after the fire at the sawmill, and I didn’t intend to add more drama to his life.
As we continued our walk to the store, the unsettling sensation that had been creeping down my spine refused to fade. The feeling of being watched and the paranoia that Brian’s presence brought hung heavy over me.
And then, as if my worst fears had materialized, I heard it–Brian’s chilling voice. A voice that had haunted my nightmares for so long. He called out to me with an eerie calmness that sent shivers down my spine.
“Sadie,” he said, his words slicing through the air like a knife. “You can’t run from me.”
I froze in my tracks, my heart pounding in my chest. I turned to look, and there he was, standing right in front of me, his presence like a nightmare come to life. He didn’t seem to care that there were people around us, that this was a public place. It was as though the world had ceased to exist, and only he and I remained.
His dark eyes bore into mine, and the malevolence in his gaze was unmistakable. Brian had always been a menacing figure, but in this moment, he was a nightmare, a living embodiment of the fear and dread that had consumed me.
I held Gregory even closer to me, shielding him from the menacing presence before us. Brian’s presence was a stark reminder that the battle against him was far from over and that his darkness was a relentless force that would stop at nothing.
As the people around us continued on with their daily lives, oblivious to the sinister encounter that had just taken place, I couldn’t help but wonder what Brian’s next move would be, and how far he would go to exact his revenge.
“Leave us alone,” I snapped, my voice quivering with a mixture of fear and anger. I couldn’t let him intimidate us any longer.
Brian’s response was a sinister smirk that curled at the corners of his lips. It was a cruel and malevolent expression that sent shivers down my spine, a silent confirmation that he had no intention of going anywhere.
“I don’t think you want me gone,” he drawled, waving his hand in front of my face again. I was getting sick of the sight of that damn right. “I think you want me here, don’t you?”
“Obviously not,” I snarled back. I wasn’t the only one growling, Mookie had started to, as well.
“Why don’t you come over here? Get closer to me.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Cut it out, Brian. You’re nothing but a bullying toolbox. You’re not even a quarter of the man that James is. You can’t just bark orders at people and expect them to follow. It doesn’t work that way.”
“Come here,” he barked further this time. His eyes hit my feet as if he expected them to move without me. Obviously, that didn’t happen. “Come on!”
He had a strange sense of entitlement about him, as if he expected me to comply with his wishes despite my constant rejections. He confronted me, his persistence evident in his tone.
“Sadie, why won’t you do what I ask?” he demanded, irritation lacing his words.
I had reached my breaking point, and I couldn’t take any more of his unwanted advances. The fact that he couldn’t comprehend my disinterest was infuriating. I took a deep breath and faced him squarely, knowing I had to stand my ground. I felt more confident being in a public place, that if I needed to be protected, someone would come to my aid. I hoped.
“Because I don’t like you, Brian, and I don’t want to see your face anymore. I don’t follow anyone’s commands. Least of all yours.”
My words were sharp, and they hung in the air for a moment, a confrontation of wills. I was done with his advances, done with his arrogance, and done with his intrusion into my life. It was time for him to understand that his behavior was unacceptable, and I wasn’t going to tolerate it any longer.
At that moment, he stuttered, trying to regain his composure. “You’ll pay for your insolence,” he finally managed to utter.
But I wasn’t about to be intimidated by his empty threats. I faced him head on, a resolute glint in my eyes. “Brian,” I retorted, “you might want to remember what happened the last time you tried to mess with me.”
My words were a reminder of the confrontation we had just gone through, a battle of wills between him and James, which had ended with Brian’s defeat. I had witnessed James’ strength and unwavering determination, and I knew that he would stand by my side. I was no longer alone in this battle, and Brian’s attempts to intimidate me were losing their effectiveness.
Brian’s shock persisted, and for a moment, he appeared to be at a loss for words. It was clear that my newfound determination had thrown him off balance, and I hoped that it would be enough to keep him at bay. With that, I turned and walked away, determined to put this chapter behind me and focus on building a future with James and my family.
My encounter with Brian had left me both unnerved and perplexed. His persistence in trying to manipulate me into apologizing had reached a point of absurdity. I couldn’t understand why he was so relentless, especially considering that his tactics seemed to have no effect on me.
In my frustration, I reached for my phone and dialed James’ number. As it rang, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease about the situation with Brian. I needed answers, and I knew that James could provide them. I had been putting off calling him before, but I wouldn’t any longer. Not when this could affect Gregory as well. He did say that he would be there for me and my son if we needed him, and we needed him.
When James answered the call, his voice was a comforting presence. I immediately felt a little bit better, just hearing him speak.
My voice trembled as I spoke. “James, you won’t believe what just happened. Brian confronted us in the middle of the street on the way to the store. Me and Gregory. He was acting all weird again, trying to make me follow his commands, waving his hand in my face.”
“Sadie, are you and Gregory okay? Where are you?”
“On the main street. It was terrifying. He appeared out of nowhere, right in front of us. He had this malevolent look in his eyes, and he didn’t seem to care about the people around us. I don’t know if he’s still here now. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“I’m on my way. Stay where you are. I won’t let Brian threaten you or our son. We’ll face this together. Just remember, this isn’t about you, it’s about me. It’s about politics.”
Relief flooded through me. Safety washed over me once more. “Thank you, James. We need you now more than ever. Please hurry.”
By the time James arrived, I was an emotional wreck, barely able to hold it together. I fell into his arms and rested against him. “Thank you for coming, James. Nothing has happened. Brian hasn’t come back, but I’m freaked out anyway.”
“Like I said,” James mumbled against me, “Brian aims to prove that I’m not ‘man enough’ to be the Alpha of Alphas, a position he wants to weaken for political gain. He will do anything to make sure that I’m not good enough for the clan.”
“What do you mean? What’s his argument?”
James sighed and pulled back to look me in the eye as he continued. “In the world of the clans, the position of clan leader is considered weaker without a mate and offspring. Brian knows about my interest in you, and he’s deliberately trying to sabotage our budding relationship to tarnish my image and make me appear unfit for my role.”
I shifted uncomfortably, glancing over to Gregory. He really couldn’t find out about his parentage now. “That’s… that’s terrible. But why is he doing this?
“Power, Sadie. It’s all about power and ambition.” James looked grim as he spoke. “But that’s not the worst of it. Brian possesses some kind of magical item that helps him manipulate women, which explains the eerie influence he has over them.
“Magic? That’s… incredible. Is that why he’s so surprised when I don’t do what he says?”
James’ eyes widened with surprise. “Has he been trying to work his magic on you?”
“I think so, but why doesn’t it work on me?
“That’s the mystery, Sadie. It’s as perplexing to me as it is to you. As we uncover more about this situation, we’re stepping into a realm of intrigue and danger that I never expected us to encounter. We’re trying to work out what he’s doing and how to stop him, but it’s taking time. Annoyingly, he’s one step ahead of us.”
The weight of that revelation settled in heavily on me, and I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of dread for the challenges that lay ahead. The tangled web of politics, power, and magic was more intricate than I had ever imagined, and I knew that our journey was far from over.