Raul and his brothers could dispose of the FBI agents, but that would only make things worse. Soon after such action, Paxton would be swarming with a huge number of their colleagues asking all kinds of questions. It would only be a matter of time before their secret came out. No, murdering a law enforcement agent was out of the question; the situation compelled her to make an exception, which sent a feeling of hopelessness washing over her. Up until now, taking lives was the answer to their every problem. It was a choice that had been forced upon them – a choice that they’d had to make – in order to hold on to what they held dear. None of them liked it, but none of them regretted it, either.
Helena spotted Monica, standing over her kitchen sink with a big smile on her face, as she turned around the corner. As her heavy footsteps brought her closer to her doorstep, she discovered a potential reason for that happy expression on Raul’s mate. Kate was sitting at the table, with a red mug of coffee in her hands. With a heavy heart, the elder witch knocked on the door, as the image of the four agents outside the science facility swirled in her mind.
“Good morning. Come on in,” Monica said, as her smile broadened.
“Hey, guys,” Helena mumbled in a barely audible voice, as she stepped into the Alpha’s cabin.
“Hey, Helena; I was just telling Monica about the gynecologist appointment I had today,” Kate interjected, as she rose from her seat. “I was on my way out of the hospital, when I ran into Sherriff Colby. Man, he was pissed. He kept mumbling something like ‘the goddamn feds camped up at my station.’ He was so mad that he didn’t notice the ‘caution – wet floor’ sign in the hallway. I’m pretty sure he cracked a few tiles. The guy’s huge.”
“The FBI is investigating the incident at the science facility,” Helena announced, casting quick, frightened glances at Monica first, and then at Kate. “I’m guessing that’s why they are using the police station.”
“Oh, no…” A sigh of despair left Monica’s lips, as her smile was wiped off her face. “How do you know?”
“I saw them earlier,” Helena explained, as Kate lifted her hands up to her temples. “I even met one of them. He asked if I’d seen anything. I said ‘no’, and told him that thunderstorms are frequent here. Before I left, he gave me his card. He asked me to call him, in case I remembered anything.”
“Why the hell would the FBI be interested in this case?” Kate wondered, her voice squeaky, as her face contorted in confusion. “I mean, the Sheriff called it an accident, didn’t he?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Helena replied, turning to her. “We carried all the bodies inside, we wiped the blood from the wall outside, and we didn’t touch anything. We left no traces whatsoever.”
“Well, they must have something,” Monica concluded, running her hand through her hair.
“They had already collected some evidence, when I got there,” Helena informed them, pursing her lips. “I didn’t get a chance to see what it was.”
“Fibers, animal hair…” Monica sighed, shaking her head sideways in disbelief. “That’s all circumstantial. I mean, the incident took place a week ago. The building is wide open. Any animal could have walked through it. It’s the bodies. The medical examiner must have found evidence on the bodies. There’s no other explanation.”
“Monica, I’m at a loss here,” Helena confessed, the volume of her voice dropping, as she settled her gaze on Raul’s mate. “What should we do, scare those agents out of Paxton? Going after them is much too risky.”
“It is,” Monica agreed with a short nod. “What about…” She faltered. “Looking into your future? Will that work?”
“Witches cannot look into their own future,” Helena declared, dragging her gaze away from Monica. “Think about it. Would Marianne McIntyre dare set foot in Paxton, had she known about her fate? I can’t pry into the future of any of those agents, either, not without knowing their names and their exact whereabouts.”
“You said you met one of them,” Kate’s tone was surprisingly calm, as she leaned closer to Helena.
“I did,” Helena admitted, shifting her gaze to her. “Why?”
“What’s he like?” Kate asked, squinting at her. “Is he old, is he young…? What?”
“I know where this is going,” Monica grumbled, narrowing her eyes at her friend. “Save your breath.”
“Look, do you want your child to grow up in a research facility?” Kate raised her tone, tossing a nasty glare over at Monica. “Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen, if those feds find out the truth! You can forget Paxton as you know it. This place is going to turn into a goddamn ghost town. The government is going to round everybody up. Think about what Riker did. Then multiply that by a thousand times. The press is going to be full of reports about ‘monsters that live among us.’ If we’re lucky, the government won’t be interested in us, but, will that matter? To the outside world, we’ll be the ‘monster lovers’, the ‘weirdo’s that got emotionally attached to freaks’, and all this kind of crap!”
“Ok, you’ve made your point,” Helena asserted, putting a little force in her voice, catching a glimpse of Kate’s heaving chest. “You’re right. A revelation like that will mark the end of our town, and our family. We’ll be mocked; ridiculed. I’ll do it. I’ll get close to him; try to find out what evidence they have. I don’t like it, but…” she paused. “What else can we do? Kate, could you please drive me to the Sheriff’s station?”
“Sure, but, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Kate asserted, shaking her head in disapproval. “It’s still 10:30 in the morning. He’s going to have his hands full, and that’s if he’s come back from the scene. Trust me; it’d be better if he was off duty. I’ll go talk to the Sheriff, pretend to be interested in the case. With any luck, he’ll give me their address. It should be a hotel; I just need to find out which one. Just wait for my call.”
“Alright,” Helena took a deep breath and gave a satisfied nod. “Good luck.”
Kate’s intelligence and her earlier rant had not come as a surprise. Helena knew her fellow witch’s qualities, long before her present outburst. Kate’s idea intrigued Helena. Danger fascinated her, but it wasn’t just the risk she was taking that made her heart race in her chest. Helena had to acquire information from a very handsome man indeed. There were a number of ways she could do this, but only one was guaranteed to work, something that most men could not resist: the power of seduction.
Chapter Four
In spite of her massive life experience, Helena was having a difficult time deciding upon her approach. She couldn’t just throw herself at a total stranger, regardless of his looks. Most likely, Cliff would suspect her, and her whole plan would backfire. Subtlety was crucial. It would help her hide her real motives. But, for whatever she opted, she knew she would have to be patient. An FBI agent didn’t reveal secrets over a drink. Even one steamy night with him would still not be enough. The mere thought of asking him questions about the case in bed sounded nonsensical, and it would have the results she had been dreading. If Helena wanted to protect her loved ones, she had to play the waiting game, hoping that she would get an opportunity to go through his laptop or his notes. In other words, she had to get into an actual relationship with him. A relationship: a concept so simple to people of almost all ages; a reality that had been eluding her for years, was now a necessity. Worse than that, she had to have it with a man she considered an enemy.
Hidden in her underground residence, somewhere in Lockhart forest, the witch anxiously awaited Kate’s call, as she selected her outfit: a dark-green, mini dress with a low-cut top that accentuated her curves, matching heels and black pantyhose. If this was a girl’s night out, she would enjoy dressing provocatively. Her friends would tease her, she would tease them back, and she would have tons of fun with all the attention she would get. Still, Helena wasn’t feeling good about herself. In fact, she felt cheap and dirty, as if she had just emerged from the sewers.
“This is how prosti
tutes must feel,” she thought, as she looked at herself in the mirror. However, before she could make any more comments on her emotional condition, Kate’s feminine voice echoed in her head.
“I’m right outside.”
Helena exhaled hard, as she made her way to her staircase. In her sadness, she tried to comfort herself, by remembering the faces of the people closest to her. This was one of the smallest sacrifices she had to make for them, and yet, that plain truth wasn’t enough to lift her spirits. The witch raised her hands above her head, and pushed up the cover of her home. Just as she did though, the sound of an engine, as well as the smell of diesel puzzled her. Kate was there, but she was in Dean’s gray pickup truck. Helena squeezed her eyes shut, as the headlights blinded her.
“It’s a little too cold for a walk in the woods,” Kate shouted out loudly, as she stuck her head out of the driver’s side window.
“Whatever…” Helena mumbled, as she let the cover drop onto the ground. Her fellow witch’s eyes sparkled with excitement as Helena closed the distance between them.
“Great outfit,” Kate commented, as Helena seated herself beside her. “We really should do something about your accommodations, though. Naming a forest after you might have been a noble gesture, but you need something a little more…” she paused, “tangible, I think.”
“Like what?”
“Like a real house?” Kate retorted, putting her foot down hard on the gas pedal. The large tires picked up rocks and chunks of mud, as the vehicle skidded across the forest surface. “Come on, girl. Don’t tell me you like living in a hole.”
“Just drive, Kate,” Helena urged, folding her arms across her chest, as she lay back in her seat. “Do you have an address?”
“Helena, what’s wrong?” Kate asked, her voice rising up and octave, as their bodies rocked on the bumpy ground.
“This…” Helena sighed, turning her head to the left to face her. “I don’t feel good about doing this.”
“I hear you,” Kate nodded, as they left the forest behind them. “I really don’t know what to say to you, darling. What you’re doing is admirable. I just wish I was single, so you wouldn’t have to do it.”
“What about that address?” Helena posed the same question yet again, as her voice returned to its normal state.
“Oh, yeah,” Kate gave a short chuckle. “I had to show a lot of cleavage to get that, but I did. That jerk couldn’t stop staring at my breasts. Anyway, those feds are staying in the ‘Star Deluxe’, a hotel just off of I-87 S.”
“I wonder if we should have shared this with the boys,” Helena muttered, returning her gaze to the road up ahead.
“Don’t,” Kate groaned, tightening her grip around the steering wheel. “Raul would rip those cops’ heads off.”
“We could have told Dean,” Helena suggested, as her face hardened.
“You don’t get it, do you?” Kate wondered, once again turning to her. “Damn…” she whispered, clenching her jaw. “Of course you don’t get it. You grew up in a time when the radio was considered the biggest technological achievement. Well, let me tell you this.” She began speaking emphatically while still focusing on the road up ahead. “The federal government possesses insane technology. The level of sophistication of their equipment is just beyond imagination: cameras, the size of a fingernail, capable of capturing the tiniest detail; microphones barely visible to the human eye; remote-control airplanes, with enough weapons to raze a big city to the ground; you name it. None of the Bradford’s can go anywhere near those feds. Neither can Julia. They can contain their wolves when they get upset, but they all glare, and when they do, their eyes change color. Do you think it will go unnoticed? I don’t. Anyway, why would you want to tell Dean? What could he do that I can’t?”
“I just don’t like to keep them out of the loop.” Helena explained, her voice calm, as they turned right and onto the uphill road that led out of Paxton.
“They don’t need to know everything,” Kate replied candidly, speaking her mind, as a clever smile spread across her face. “Besides, what would you say to them? ‘Hey, guys. I’m going to try to seduce somebody into revealing details to me about the evidence he has against you’?”
The witch did not dignify Kate’s last comment with a rebuttal. Instead, she returned the smile, barely able to prevent laughter from bursting out into the truck cab. After all, their little chat could not go on for much longer. As much as she enjoyed talking to Kate, Helena had to concentrate on her mission. Kate’s jokes and her constant teasing would only distract Helena.
Minutes afterwards, the view of the tall, well-lit hotel in the distance, sent chills rippling across her spine. The moment of truth drew nearer and nearer by the second, and she still had not decided on an excuse to give him for her visit. She did have his phone number. She could reach him anytime she wanted.
“Some things cannot be discussed over the phone,” Helena thought to herself, as Dean’s truck slowly rolled to a halt outside the hotel’s glass façade. However, as she looked through the glass, she discovered she didn’t need any excuse at all. Cliff was to the right of the hotel bar, all alone, with his side turned to the road, sipping his drink.
“That’s him over there,” Helena told Kate, as she raised her hand to point up at him. “Third stool to the left.”
“Are you serious right now?” Kate squeaked, as she laid her eyes on Cliff. “That guy’s hot. I was expecting to see an old, fat fart, not a young stud like him. Go get him, darling.”
“Wish me luck,” Helena muttered, unwilling to respond to her friend’s crude remarks.
“Good humping,” Kate murmured, provoking her fellow witch’s instant glare, as Helena grabbed the door handle. “Oops,” Kate snorted in amusement, as her lips curled into a huge grin. “I meant ‘good hunting.’”
“I’ll see you later,” Helena grumbled, stepping out of the vehicle. Kate was her friend. She loved her. She knew that she was merely trying to relieve her tension; but all those nasty comments only served as a reminder of her objective. Instead of helping her relax, they intensified the feeling of guilt that had been growing within her. In any case, Helena had to put that awkward moment behind her. She couldn’t afford to let it affect her in any way.
Her heart skipped a beat, as the glass door slid open sideways, revealing a large, luxurious lobby. Beige tiles graced the floor, with a massive, golden star in the middle of the hall. The witch threw a quick glance over at Cliff, as she started off to the right. Thankfully, his attention was not focused on the entrance. He was talking to the young bartender. Determining that choosing a seat near Cliff would probably give away her motives, Helena decided to head towards the other side of the bar. Fixing her gaze on the mirror across from her, she hopped onto a stool. By then, she was starting to imagine a possible outcome of that night.
“We chat: he tells me a little bit about himself; I pretend to be having a good time. I give him my number, and that’s it. I’ll leave. No sex. He looks fantastic, sure, but it’s not about his looks. If I sleep with him tonight, he’ll think I’m a slut. He’ll definitely lose interest. I doubt we’ll see each other again.”
“Good evening, ma’am,” greeted the bartender, his nasal voice snapping her out of her thoughts. “What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a gin and tonic, thank you,” she responded, lifting her eyes to meet his.
“Coming right up,” he answered, giving her a polite smile, as she leaned her elbows on the bar’s surface. Part of her wanted to look at him once more. Knowing if he had noticed her presence would at least prepare her psychologically for the rest of the night. Yet, Helena had to fight off other emotions, ones that kept her eyes glued on the mirror: first, was the fear of being exposed; utter humiliation would follow, along with possible jail time; second was the shame eating away at her, since she’d agreed to participate in this plan. Still, as she tapped her fingers on the shiny wood in faint impatience, she caught a glimpse of a large hand, setting do
wn a half-full glass just next to her.
“Ms. Lockhart, mind if I join you for a little bit?” Helena recognized the rasp of Cliff’s voice in an instant. However, there was more in it than that sexy color. It was filled with laziness. He was speaking rather slowly, a clear indication that he’d already reached the definition of intoxicated. The pungent smell of alcohol only confirmed her suspicions.
“Not at all, agent Daniels,” she said, whirling her head to the right to face him, her pulse rising, as a smile of embarrassment burst upon her lips.
“Nah, I should go. Your date won’t like to see you with another man,” the drowsiness in his tone intensified, as he picked up his glass from the bar’s surface.
“I don’t have a date. I’m meeting with a friend,” Helena pointed out, putting some force in her voice. “You can stay.”
“In that case…” he managed to croak, while putting his glass back down, as he sat on the stool next to Helena.
“Agent Daniels, pardon my curiosity, but, um…” she faltered, pressing her lips together, as she dragged her gaze away from him. “The whole town is asking the same question: w why would the FBI bother looking into a case that’s got ‘accident’ written all over it?”
“You didn’t, by any chance, read the names of the victims, did you?” He wondered, assuming a softer voice, as he leaned closer towards her.
“No,” Helena shook her head sideways, as she brought her gaze back to his face. “I’m afraid I haven’t.”
“Well, I have,” Cliff pointed at himself, the green in his eyes fading in the bright illumination. “I saw the name ‘Donna Lockhart.’ Some local said she was your niece. I’m sorry for your loss. I only remember it, because it was right before the name ‘Jonathan Daniels.’ He was my brother. That’s why I’m investigating it.”
A Wolf's Mate (Wolf Mountain Peak Book 6) Page 2