MATED TO A SERIAL KILLER

CHAPTER 10: LIFELESS CHATEAU

***ANNA***

I went out of the house through the back door, making sure Mother hadn’t suspected or heard a thing, and when I was out, I breathed out in relief, not even realizing I had been holding my breath in.

I twirled the car key in my hand, happy I had earlier grabbed mother’s car keys before I came out. Well, not like she’s ever going to notice the keys were gone since she rarely drove the car, I walked to the garage, got into her car and drove off.

“”Woooooooo!” I yelled as I drove the convertible sport car, the only good thing mother took from father when she left him. Soft breeze brushed my face and hair as I drove off at high speed, but then, I remembered I didn’t even know the route to take.

With one hand on the wheel, I flashed out my phone from my purse that was seated on the passenger’s seat beside me and turned on my map app, input the name of the place I was headed and it brought out perfect directions. I started to follow the direction, but what turned out to start as an interesting ride ended up becoming some sort of very long ride I wished I didn't take.

“When I do get there, I hope I meet this bastard,” I whispered to myself and just then, my phone started to ring, I picked it up and checked the called ID, it’s mother.

“Mum?” I called as I answered the call.

“I’m meeting with Aurora? My friend from college? Didn’t want to wake you when I left the house,” I sharply lied, knowing fully well she slept every afternoon—beauty sleep she termed it.

“And I don’t think I’d be back anytime soon, atleast, not tonight” she mumbled some stuffs I didn’t really hear since I was beginning to enter the busy street of the middle of Virnia, the state in the middle of Montreal.

“Sure, bye, love you!” I rushed my words as I cut the call off and decided to concentrate on my driving.

Looking out the window, it’s already getting real dark and I knew it wouldn’t be wise to go ahead to The Chateau tonight, it’d be better to find a place to sleep or something, but my curiosity got the best of me, so instead of acting like a reasonable person, I drove straight for The chateau with the great help of my map.

I packed in front of the large gates and got out of my car, it’s so dark I had to turn on the flashlight of my phone, I looked around the place, wondering why such a large expanse whose end I couldn’t even see had such dull lights on its walls, but then, it didn’t take me much time to remember this was Montreal, home of wolves, and wolves see perfectly at night.

I walked to the gate and pushed it open, but it was pushed right back in my face.

“Who do you seek?” Someone asked in a deep baritone voice that almost made me jump, just then did I realize there were two men by the gate, standing guard, only they had no weapons, but I guess their wolf abilities were weapon enough. I stopped thinking about all of that and turned to face the men.

“I’m asking of a Carl Lockwood?” I announced and they both shared a knowing look, guess I was in the right place after all and my handsome stranger was here.

“Why do you seek him?” One of them asked, but I was lost for word, what could I possibly say? The truth, where I’d be hanging out my dirty linens, or just a vague truth which could hang me later in the midst of wolves.

“I’m here to see him on personal grounds, he’s my brother,” I said, at least we had the same eye colour, that alone should sell me as his sister, I thought.

“I don’t see the resemblance,” I froze at the sound of that, maybe I should have throught this through, “but then, his mother didn’t look like his mother the last time either,” the man added and opened the gate without saying any more words, guess that’s my cue to go in, and so, I went right inside.

“Lord Carl asked for us to get him whenever his family comes around, so come along, you’ll wait in the basement, while I go get him for you,” he said and started to lead the way, I followed him, all the while trying my best to take a good look at my surroundings, everything was so serene, so silent like some graveyard, it gave me the creeps. I couldn’t even hear the sound of crickets, it was as though the place was void of life except for the wolves that were possibly occupying the space.

“Wait in there,” the man said, pointing me to a place. I nodded and walked towards the stairs that led to a downward path—the basement. The man turned and walked away, I got to the door of the basement and pushed it open, but I couldn’t enter, the whole place was stack dark, very dark I couldn’t even see anything ahead. So instead, I retraced my steps and started to wander around the environment.

Which was not a great idea, but I was curious and wanted to see, the further I walked, the lighter my part, it seemed only an aspect of the house lacked lightening and the rest was full of light bulbs illuminating my path perfectly and beautifully.

“Anna? Is that you?” I heard a very familiar voice call—my friend. I turned around with a smile as I was met with her happy smiley face.

“Aurora?” I called, and she ran towards me, hugging me tight and almost squeezing the life out of me. Just then did I see butterflies flock playfully around us, the first time I would be seeing an insect in THE CHATEAU.