The Masked Truth

The Masked Truth

© All Rights Reserved -2011

“Mary Margret Anderson.”

“Madge, Dad, Madge. No one calls me Mary Margret.” Madge complained as she snagged her keys from the hook by the back door of the house.

“I named you Mary Margret after your great grandmother, you will not disrespect that name by shortening it. Madge sounds like mush, and I refuse to use it.” He spoke sternly as he hobbled into the small kitchen no doubt looking for his breakfast of three or four beers. “We are almost out.”

Madge rolled her eyes as she opened the door, “Well we are out of money, so make them last.” Before he could scold her again, she closed the door quickly and scurried down the stairs to her beat up old car.

Her car was definitely not reliable by any means, hell, it had to be towed two times in the last six months, but it was her only sanctuary most days. For years, Madge's father, Brandon, had an ongoing problem with alcohol, and she was only stupid enough to stick around to deal with it.

In the past years her entire family had given up hope on him, from his own mother, to her mother. Numerous times they tried to coax her away, but she was certain the moment she left his side he would never be heard from again. She couldn't possibly let that happen to the man, who helped give her life.

As a child he was the sparkle in her eyes, the strongest man ever, and definitely not one to cross. He had the entire pack under his wings until one day. The day he took his first drink, and the day Madge's twin brother died.

They were both sixteen, but Henry, her twin, was different. He was so strong, and was destined to be the next Beta. Beside him Madge felt dwarfed in the magical department. She always thought that their ability to change forms into wolves was magic, though Henry often disputed that fact saying it wasn't magic, just that they were a different species.

Madge could shift, but her wolf was much smaller, and never nearly as strong as her other half, Henry. As they grew up they resembled each other so closely, both with chestnut brown hair, and emerald green eyes. Neither were lacking friends or opposite sex attention. Madge had a great many suitors but she refused to pay them any mind.

The day Henry died, they had just left school joking back and fourth about who could make it home faster than the other. Of course neither could turn down the dare, and began to race home. As they neared the border of the pack lands that was on the edge of their family home is when it happened. They were attacked, completely blindsided to the wolves that jumped the border leaping instantly on Henry's back snapping their jaws viciously at him.

Yelp and bucking he barked at Madge to keep running, a stray wolf shoot off after as she ran faster than ever before howling the whole way to the house. Wolves near by heard the call, including her father. All too soon she was surrounded by fellow pack members scaring the stray wolf off the lands and finding Henry, battered and broken.

He was dead when they found him, with a note left by his torn throat.

“Submit.”

That night, Madge watched her father drink an entire bottle of vodka with ease, and before long he was land sliding down a slope he had no way of bouncing back from. Less than a year later, he gave up his alpha-ship over the pack, Madge's mother left, and Madge was left to watch over her grieving father who was dead set on killing himself.

They had moved to a small wolf town in upstate Maine eight years ago. Madge had no choice but to work, waiting tables at night and in a dentist office as the receptionist during the day.

Madge enjoyed the quiet drive to the office as she turned on music and drummed her fingers on the wheel. It was Thursday, and she couldn't be more ready for the weekend. During the week, sleep was so rare for her, that the weekends were the only days she really got to get more than a two hour nap.

She pulled into her usual parking spot and noticed that Clark, the local pack's Alpha, was already there. He usually didn't coming into the last moment, he after all was the dentist and wasn't needed until halfway through most cleanings.

Pulling out the keys to the office, Madge slipped out of the car, straightening her black button up, and twirling her now blond hair into a twist held with a plastic clip to the back of her head. She glanced at her reflection in the window of the car, plain, unattractive, just like she hoped for.

Since Henry died, and she left, Madge found her magic deep within and quickly learned to harness it. She quickly learn she wasn't on the short end of the stick, she just never had a need to use it until her loss. Now Madge no longer shared the chestnut brown hair or eyes that twinkled like cut emeralds, but had dull blond hair, and muddy brown eyes. Her once trim, curvy body was now rail thin and boney.

The last thing she want was to be noticed, and today was no different.

Letting herself into the quiet office the low sound of male voices could be heard, but muffled too much for her to clearly hear. Madge had long gave up on caring around pack drama, she had enough drama in her life with just her father, she didn't care to have any more. Quickly stowing her purse under her desk she fired up the aging computer and began to pull files for the first few clients of the morning.

Twenty minutes into her work day, two clients already sat waiting in the lobby and Clark still hadn't emerged from his office. His voice could still be heard from within, as well as one other voice.

“Madge.” Clark's voice startled her from her typing, as she looked up at her now Alpha and the man that stood not to far behind him.

“Sir?” Her eyes met his as he would normally make most cower at his feet, his power hardly effected Madge. Half the time she had to pretend, which just annoyed her more than anything.

“I need you to clear out a few of my appointments tomorrow afternoon, pencil in Mr. Sean Patrick Heaney.” Clark motioned for the man standing behind him to step forward.

“Yes, sir. When would you like to reschedule those other patients?”

“Fit them in where ever you can, Madge.” Clark nodded as he turned to Sean, “Bring all who have come with you tomorrow and we will talk more in depth then.”

“Yes, thank you, Clark.” Sean Heaney shook hands with him and turned rather quickly rustling the air around him. His nose rose to the air and sniffed deeply. With widening eyes, Sean's eyes darted around the room scanning it quickly.

“Everything okay, Sean?” Clark's concern once again caused Madge to look over the top of her computer screen.

“That smell? I... I... Nothing, it's nothing.” His eyes glanced over every female in the room, he even quickly moved over Madge never once stopping at her, but she knew what he felt. For she felt it too.

Mate.

Sean Patrick Heaney was her true mate.

And he would never find out.