The fear and uncertainty permeated throughout the house. Fear had a scent - a scent Max knew all too well. He thrived off the terror. It gave him a rush of adrenaline like a shot of vodka. It burned his soul down to the core and simultaneously aroused him and fed his need for more. Max was beyond a ghost or a spirit. His life force was more or less tied to this house now after years of haunting it and adding more and more blood to its foundations.

He ran a hand through his hair and stalked through the gardens. It was quiet and peaceful out here. Well, now it was. Centuries ago, this is where Max became the monster that he was today.

The garden beds had been freshly fertilized and planted with new flowers. He couldn't smell them. His nose was meant to smell what humans could give off: fear, arousal, lust, and sadness. He scowled then looked up. The clouds shifted, showing a nearly fully waxed moon. Just a couple of days and he would be at the height of his strength. That new family wouldn't know what hit them.

Max smiled at the thought. It had been a while since he got a good scare out of someone. He would enjoy this. The whole family was vulnerable in their mourning state. He could raise hell and that would result in a lot of fun for him.

He could almost feel the power he would get from the terror he would cause. The wolf he became, the beast, was always hungry and looking for his next meal.

Max walked along the pond, but in his invisible state, he gave off no reflection. He frowned and crouched down. A part of him wished he could go back to when he was just a troubled kid. He could fix things and maybe not be such a monster in the afterlife. Jealousy had forced his hand that day - the day when he lost his brother. Whatever had taken hold of him that day was still present. Sometimes, Max felt like his old self before he shot his brother off of his horse - before he sent their hunting dogs after him. It was always quickly swallowed up by the Beast.

He growled and looked back up at the house with only a few lit windows now. He would take over again and hit full strength. He would survive a few decades on the negativity that family was giving off and even longer if he scared the shit out of them. The mother was as a target as any of the little ones. They already knew something wasn't right with the house. They might actually be harder to surprise.

Max grinned and stalked back inside. He usually paced along at the upper most floors and in his father's old office. He would stay there for now and bide his time.