#Chapter 110: The Return

Lauren “Abigail, Owen, come here.” I pulled my kids close, Abigail clutching a strange book. My hand trembled as I gestured toward the looming shadow. “Mark… come with us. I’ll take care of you. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were—” My brother. The word clung to the air, heavier than the damp stone walls. Mark stood still, massive, his permanent wolf ears twitching at every sound. His tail swayed slightly—the only sign he was listening. Abigail pressed against my side, eyes darting between me and the enormous man who was her uncle. Owen stood in front of her, small but defiant, his hands trembling. “Mark,” I whispered, my voice unsteady. “Do you… know me?” We had played only a few times as children—too young to remember much. Did he? Lily’s voice was unreadable. “It’s no use. He… doesn’t understand much.” A deep, guttural snarl tore through the basement. Then another. Mark lazily glanced back at the manhole tunnel behind him—just as the house shook. A chorus of howls and bark