COWARDS ONLY LIVE IN THE SHADOWS - PART 2

"What took you so long Catherine?" 

She sensed the anger in her father's eyes, her side eye sighted Alex and the fear in him made her chuckle.

"What's funny?" Don was dumbfounded by his daughter's character, the more he tried to be close to her, the more she proved difficult. Raising her without a mother had been difficult, her mother had died of internal bleeding barely a year after she had brought Catherine into the world.

"Nothing, was weird why you would want to see me by this time". 

"I have the right to call you whenever I want Catherine, you can't be bigger than me". He hissed. 

"Now tell me what's going on between the staff and you?"

"Dad I don't know". She gave him an innocent look.

"Stop the pretense, Eden told me what transpired". 

"That bitch!" She murmured to herself, no wonder she couldn't look her in the face when she served the juice, her father must have interrogated Eden. Catherine knew her father better than anyone and she knew Eden had told him everything.

"Father, I did nothing, they decided to leave their jobs". 

"All of them?" Her father sat on his usual chair, his gaze fixed om her without twitching. He had put Alex in charge of the house since he traveled, last night he heard about Catherine's recent action he waited for this day.

"I want them all back".

Alex stood like a statute by the door, he never had the intention to interfere, they were having their moment and he would leave them to it.

"But father they're gone, we could get new ones".

"Whom you plan to throw off soon I guess?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised.

"Father it won't happen again". She assured him impatiently, she wondered why Alex went all quiet, her wolf side hated him as he disgusted her.

"I disagree, I think it's better you live in the house with no maids that's enough punishment for the two maids you took their lives". Her father commanded.

"No, dad you won't do that ". Her father was unnecessarily strict with her this morning, she thought to herself as she turned to walk away in anger, she needed some air away from all this.

"Don't you dare walk out on me?" His father shouted at her.

"I'll do whatever I like dad". She walked away without looking back, Alex stood by the door which she walked passed she wasn't expecting him to hold her either, she felt her nails had come out.

"Eden". She angrily shouted at top of her voice.

"My lady". Eden came rushing to it, she wasn't surprised to see Catherine angry. She felt a sting on her face almost immediately which caused tears to roll from her eyes.

"The next time you think of reporting me, you should think of that". Catherine hissed as she walked into her room, closing the door forcefully behind her, she climbed her bed.

***

She didn't know she had slept for so long, she stretched as she checked her time and noticed how far it had gone. She got up from the bed and decided to get some maids for herself, she didn't care what her father thought. Slowly she wore a sweater and a trouser which matched her black sneakers.

"My lady".

She almost bumped into Alex on the way, he looked perturbed which didn't bother her anyway.

"Eden isn't in the house". 

"So?" She asked looking directly into his eyes.

"What did you do?"

"Did she report me again?"

"No, I'm just guessing you-".

"Let it slide Alex, I'm off to get some maids". She announced.

"I thought your father warned against that?"

"Does it look like I care, I might be long". She announced while she walked passed him.

"Where are you going?" Alex suspected she was heading elsewhere.

"Hunting, I'm starving".

"Should I come with you or send someone?"

"No, don't worry I'll be fine, just stay with father". She responded.

"Take his advise Catherine, get someone to follow you".

She recognized her father's voice as she turned around to face him. "Father I'm no longer a kid, remember?"

"Ya I know, but promise me, you won't take long?"

She sensed he hadn't known about her mission to get maids for herself, probably Alex would tell him that when she was gone.

"Fine father, you got my word". 

"Don't you think we should keep an eye on her"? Alex spoke out immediately after Catherine left them.

"No, there are better things to do, how are you going about our rival, the Black furs pack".

"They are watched from a distance and you got nothing to worry about".

"You should get the warriors ready for attack".

"You got it all covered". Alex gave out a warm smile.

"Any word from the Chefs she fired?"

"She insisted she hired new ones". Alex mustered the courage to tell Don who was vexed.

"She what!"

***

Catherine wasn't scared of anything, she had released one of the carriages to ride on, and she was starving.

"Madam, do you need some help?" One of the drivers who took care of the field came out.

"Do I look like one who needed help?"

"Sorry ma".

"Get out of my sight before you regret coming to ask me". She almost busted out in laughter as she watched the man running off in fear of losing his job. She entered the carriage and headed out of the house, she didn't want to stay long before her father changed his mind. 

Asher cave was so mysterious that Catherine yearned to have a look at it, she thought to herself while she brought out the map from her pocket. The road was narrow which are locating the place to be complicated, she heard the hiring sound from the birds, and she had heard tales about humans being frightened to come here. Catherine boldly entered the forest, her eyes were alert, and she spotted some mountain lions. She quietly parked her Carriage to prevent being seen and hid in one of the bushes. A mountain lion showed up again which got her on her feet and chased after it, just then she changed into her wolf form making her speed faster. The mountain lion seems to be slow, Catherine caught up with it just as it was about to turn, she tore his side with her claws which made it cry out loud and slow it's pace. Catherine saw she had an upper hand as she pounced on it and used her claws to slit it's throat. She went for his heart as she threw it to her mouth, it's blood was fresh she didn't realized she had consumed flesh in it. 

She headed for the carriage when she heard a screeching sound, she looked behind her to see who it was but saw no one.

"Who's there?" She heard the echo of her voice.