AN: Here we go again! Another new story, this one using our boys from The Covenant. If you haven't seen this movie...OMG. Awesome movie and yummy eye candy. So this is based kinda like a sequel and Chase, for those of you that have seen it, is a good guy. His Power trip kinda made him a little crazy in my books and it will be explained later on I promise. As for this chapter, it's a look into why things went sour in the past for the Sons of Ipswich's ancestors.

Enjoy...

Prologue: The Beginning of the End

Truth is never what it seems. Truth can either protect or destroy someone, just as a lie can. Some truths are simple and the hurt doesn't last long. Others can seep in and ruin a person's life for generations to come. The story I am about to tell you is a result of one such truth that ruined not only one family's life, but six.

There were six prominent families residing in the small town of Ipswich before and during the Salem witch trials. Born with Power, 5 of the families watched over others that showed any type of Power, while the sixth watched over them. Prior to the Salem persecutions, the families lived in peace with the rest of the town. The town knew that the families were odd, but they ignored it as long as no harm came to anyone.

The first family, Danvers, lead the secret council that came with being with Power. If a person with Power was brought before them, the head of the Danvers family made the final decision and sentence regarding that person's crime. This system worked for many years until the months before Salem and Ipswich were dragged into a blood massacre. A massacre begun due to jealousy.

John Putnam, the last of the five families, had never been content with restraining his Power or leaving the non-Powerful in peace. Still, he didn't dare go against the other families or the laws they had in place. So he bided his time, living his life and burying two wives and all of children. Living as a bachelor was not done, even close to being forbidden, so John Putnam decided he would marry again. This time he would choose a bride worthy of bearing his name and his children.

Tired of the fragile 'human' wives, he chose a woman from within the Covenant of Power. Elizabeth Matthews was the daughter of Elijah Matthews, the head of the sixth family. Sh was known, at least to the other families, to have the Sight. She was young, only 18 years of age, but that only added to her 'value'. They were married shortly before her 19th birthday, but Putnam did not rush into consummating the union. He gave her time, knowing that her pureness and young age made her fearful of the marriage bed. Worst mistake of his life. His wife wasn't afraid of the marriage bed. She was afraid of him and disgusted by the fact that she was married to a man that was nearly 4 times her age.

Elizabeth was allowed her own life and freedoms as long as she did not dishonor or betray Putnam in any way. She kept to the rules he set for her and despite not being in his bed, she was a good wife to John Putnam. Many men in the villages praised John Putnam for finding such a wife. She was also perfect because she knew the family's secrets, so he didn't have to hide his Power. The only problem he had, besides the fact that he had not yet bedded her, and he didn't even know about it, was the fact that his young bride was, and had always been in love with another and was close to breaking her vows in order to be with him.

Garrett Pope, the son of Minister Pope, was the handsomest and sweetest boy in town. Rumors circulated that he and Elizabeth had been secretly courting before her marriage to Putnam and even know he was trying to help her figure out a way to get out of the marriage. Since Elizabeth played the dutiful wife, Putnam didn't think much of the rumors, but kept his wife closer to him in the months before the trials began and made plans to bed her before the year was out so that way she would be his no matter what.

It was almost two weeks before her 21st birthday and Elizabeth fought him off any chance she got. She was clever and made sure to do it in ways that he couldn't contest. You see, she was wanting to be with Garrett in every way and if it hadn't been for John Putnam, she and Garrett would have run off together and married in Salem. She may be part of the Covenant due to her gift, but in no way was she giving her purity to a man she Saw betraying them in a few years time. She somehow managed to convince Putnam to wait until after her birthday to consummate their marriage. Little did he know that if he waited until her birthday or after, that their marriage would be invalid. She was counting on it

She and Garrett planned, helped by not only his family, but her own. The Matthews family had seen some signs of the impending trouble with Putnam and were willing to help their daughter as long as it was officially done. The rest of the families, minus Putnam's of course, were also informed and they too helped out. The law stated that once the day of her birthday began, and if she was not deflowered by Putnam by that time, then she was free from her marriage and could marry another.

The night before her birthday came. She and Garrett snuck off with one of the Elders waiting outside and waited for midnight. The wait was excruciating but necessary. The Elder performed a marriage ceremony, merely leaving the time and date blank to cover his tracks. He would witness her deflowering and then leave them. As midnight approached, the Elder swore he saw some type of magic enter the small room they were in and enter Garrett and Elizabeth's body. His testimony later would condemn Putnam, but also Garrett and Elizabeth.

Midnight came and after he witnessed what he needed to, the Elder blessed them again and left. Garrett and Elizabeth were consummating their love and new union when suddenly there was shouting outside and then the door swung open violently. It was Putnam, furious at catching his wife supposedly committing adultery. He dragged them both into the middle of the square, neither of them wearing more than a sheet around their naked bodies. Garrett shielded his new wife the best he could as Putnam started shouting to the Elders and the heads of the Covenant families about what he had found.

Imagine his surprise when the family heads and the Elders told him and showed the agreement he had signed when he had married Elizabeth. His fury grew because he believed he had been tricked. To all of those who were present, he cursed them and their descendants. He turned to Garrett and Elizabeth and told them that they would come to regret their betrayal of him and his. Most of the town people present thought him insane, especially since the new marriage license showed that Elizabeth had been married on her 21st birthday, after her marriage to Putnam had been declared void. They would come to learn that not only was John Putnam insane, he was down right dangerous.

A few months passed and Ipswich went back to its normal peaceful self. John Putnam holed himself up inside his home, seeing no one and plotting his revenge. His revenge would bring those who once trusted him together to condemn him.

The first signs of his revenge came from Salem, a town not far from Ipswich. Women were being suspected of being witches after a few girls claimed to have seen them shouting spells and cursing others around them. The heads of the lesser Covenant families immediately headed to Salem to hopefully disprove the accusations. Sadly, they were unable to. For the scent of Power that permeated the town was none other than John Putnam's. He had started hsi revenge.

Garrett and Elizabeth Pope were already persona non grata with the town, despite the fact that they had done everything in accordance with the laws of the town. The Elder that had witnessed their union had confessed to marrying them before the time was right, but because Garrett had taken Elizabeth's innocence, there was nothing to be done. They were exiles amongst the rest of the town, and the Families could do nothing for them except house them and keep them safe. Sadly, not everyone was kept safe.

The accusations and burnings that started in Salem moved their way down to Ipswich and the first casualty was Goody Pope, Garrett's mother. She claimed that John Putnam came to her and seduced her every night and that is who the father of her unborn child was. Since she was pregnant and had been a widow for longer than she had been pregnant, her claim was taken seriously. The Covenant families, who also ran the town council, had no choice but to have one of their own arrested for witchcraft. His arrest was no secret, nor had it been debated in the secret council. For Goody Pope was not the only one to report crimes done by Putnam. The heads of the families were already going to deal with him thanks to Elizabeth and her Sight.

She had reported him months before, after Seeing his betrayal and also witnessing first hand his cruelty and abuse of his Power. After they had married, he saw no sense in restraining himself within his own home and at some times, in public. He was becoming a danger and finally gone too far. John Putnam had to go before they were all killed for his crimes.

Two days before All Hallows Eve, John Putnam was dragged from his home and put on trial immediately after. The town wanted him dead before the holiday so he couldn't haunt them. Many testified against him, including Elizabeth and Garrett. While most of the testimony from the people was false or just imagination, her's and Garrett's testimony was key, as was Goody Pope's. John Putnam had no escape and could only think of revenge. He would not get it.

The council, comprised of the heads of the Covenant families and a few of the town Elders, made their verdict only a few short hours before All Hallows Eve began. John Putnam would die by burning, hopefully freeing his victims from his spells. Sadly, John Putnam would have one final victim before his death.

The wife he coveted and desired, Elizabeth Pope, had been pregnant during this madness and was close to her birthing when he was sentenced to death. As Putnam was being dragged to the stake to be burned, he made some sort of movement towards Elizabeth and she fell. When Garrett went to her, she held up a hand covered in blood. She was losing her child. As John Putnam burned, Elizabeth, Garrett and a few healers did their best to save the child within her.

Sadly, nothing could be done. Neither Elizabeth or her child survived that night. John Putnam's last act had claimed them both, breaking the Covenant and the heart of Garrett Pope. Things would never be the same again.

After Putnam's death, things settled down, though many had lost their lives because of him. The five remaining families of the Covenant stayed in Ipswich, but resigned any power they had. They were still prominent due to their wealth, but held no public power within the town. They kept to themselves and made sure that nothing like what had happened could happen again.

Garrett disappeared after the death of Elizabeth and the birth of his half brother. He couldn't bare to look at the child of the man that had killed his wife and child. Not long after he disappeared, a coffin was buried next to Elizabeth and her child, rumors abounding that it was Garrett and that he had ended his life to be with his wife and child in Heaven. The families watched over their graves and made sure that no one could disturb them

Time passed and the truth was hidden. Not out of disrespect, but out of a need to protect the Matthews family. Their role in the Covenant was hidden from that day forth, only the Danvers family knowing where they were and how to contact them if needed. As for the Matthews family, they never stayed far away and they always kept an eye out for the families.

Now I tell you a different story. This one involves a Matthews woman, the Sons of Ipswich and the descendant of John Putnam. Again, nothing is what it seems. Maybe this time around, a Matthews woman can save the Putnam and keep the Covenant intact.

Just maybe, love can heal the wounds of the past...

AN: So what do y'all think? Crap? I just got it out there lol

Next up: We fast forward to current times and meet the newest Matthews woman and get her introduced to the Sons of Ipswich. Can she convince them that she belongs and can help them. Chase will show up soon and maybe she can help him too

Stay tuned to find out!