“Ms. Lockhart, what a nice surprise.” Cliff said, his eyes glinting with excitement, as he offered his hand for a handshake. “How are you doing today?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Helena nodded, her voice coming out stiff, as she reached to shake his hand. The softness of his palm against her skin felt indescribably good; yet, it was not enough to appease her. She couldn’t wait to get more information.
“I was just about to call you,” he continued, the corners of his eyes tightening, as he seated himself in his executive chair. “The coroner emailed me the results of your niece’s autopsy. I’m sorry, Helena. Donna was murdered. She had a stab wound to her chest.”
“What?” she exclaimed, as her brows popped up in mock surprise. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Well, the coroner is,” Cliff declared, resting his elbows on his desk, as he leaned closer to her. “He didn’t find any carbon monoxide in her lungs, and she had suffered – quote – ‘massive blood loss.’”
“Do you have any suspects?” Helena asked, assuming a businesslike tone.
“Not yet,” he replied, his face contorting into a puzzled expression, as he gazed deep into her eyes. “Excuse me, but…” He faltered, pressing his lips together. “Do you really have red eyes? I didn’t notice in broad daylight. The other night, I was so drunk I thought I was seeing things. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”
“I have suffered loss, too, agent Daniels. There’s no need to apologize,” she continued, as she remembered the tragic fate of her parents. “You weren’t seeing things. My eyes are red. They used to be brown, once. They picked up this color, on the night I lost my folks.”
“Is that even possible?” He squinted at her, his voice filled with suspicion.
“The doctors couldn’t explain it any other way,” Helena sighed, slowly shrugging her shoulders. “They used to work at a munitions factory in upstate New York. I was just nine years old at the time. That summer, they both put in long hours at work. I hardly saw them. One night, my brother and I decided to surprise them. He was ten years older than me. He borrowed his friend David’s car. I was so excited…” She heaved one more sigh, dropping her gaze from him, as she bit her lower lip. “Anyway, we pulled over into the parking lot. The company was housed in a glass building. I saw them; they were on the second floor. I tried to wave at them, but, the moment I raised my hand, this…” she paused. “Very bright, red flare shot across the building. The shockwave was so powerful that my brother and I were blasted thirty feet away. The authorities said an antitank weapon was accidentally fired.”
“I’m sorry,” Cliff murmured, lowering his tone, as he leaned back. “Your story is a little wild, but it’s nothing compared to all the rumors surrounding Sutton Valley and Paxton. You see, I’ve been doing a lot of research lately. I’ve found more than twenty books about these places, all of them describing strange things, like the existence of humans changing into wolves: witches; vampires. Those books are very old, they were published in the early 1900’s, but still, they’re quite fascinating.”
“Those are myths,” Helena grumbled, struggling to keep the surprise out of her voice, as her gaze shot up to meet his. “My parents’ death was real.”
“Then how do you explain the existence of those books?” He asked, folding his arms across his chest, as he intensified his stare.
“I don’t know how people lived in the 1900’s, but I’m more than certain that they had a lot of time on their hands,” she stated in an emphatic tone, narrowing her eyes up at him. “I guess some of them chose to get creative.”
“Some of them are way too detailed. Like this one, for example.” Cliff stated, abruptly taking his left arm off his desk. Reaching down, he opened the top drawer, and then tossed a thick book across his desk, maintaining eye contact with her. It featured a white cover, with a gray wolf, howling on the top of a lush hill. The black, faded letters read:
Henry P. Masters
Majestic – The union of wolf and man
Inspired by a true story
Unwilling to dignify his allegations, Helena chose to ignore the book. She wouldn’t even glance at it, feeling her frustration grow more and more by the second.
“Humans, changing into wolves, huh?” she smirked. “And they’ve been around for more than a hundred years, keeping their nature secret, without the federal government knowing a thing about them – nothing? Not even a clue? That must be the most ridiculous conspiracy theory I’ve ever heard.”
“Oh, crap,” Cliff sighed, shaking his head sideways in regret. “I hadn’t realized how stupid it sounded, right until the moment you said it. I’m sorry, Helena. I’m just trying to make some sense out of this.”
“Call me if you have any news about my niece’s case,” she urged, rising from her seat. “Have a good day.”
The witch didn’t really want to leave. She liked being around him, even though his curiosity was annoying her. Still, there was no point in being there anymore. She had no problem lying to him, over and over again. Mocking him about his theory was easy; but, Helena knew that lingering there could eventually work against her. Sooner or later, one of Cliff’s questions would put her in a difficult position. Within seconds, she was out of his office, deep down knowing that this was probably the last time she would lay eyes on him. The last time she would be tempted by him.
Chapter Nine
Helena might have skillfully evaded Cliff’s questions that morning, but she had to admit that he was getting much too inquisitive. Humans tended to dismiss supernatural stories as “nonsense” or “fairytales”; yet that was not the case with him. Strangely enough, Cliff Daniels seemed more than willing to believe in shifters, witches, and vampires. He was becoming a liability, a threat to the well-being of her loved ones.
Several hours later, as she wondered about his next move, Helena considered looking into his future. She had his full name and his exact location; everything she needed to pry into the next twenty-four hours of his life. For a moment, she hesitated, fearing that whatever she would see in her orb would involve her. The witch could tell by his tone, as well as the warm look in his eyes that there was a spark between them. Catching a glimpse of anything inappropriate would tempt her. However, she quickly put aside that hesitation. Why? Because Helena firmly believed that running into him once more was highly unlikely. Even if she did, she had already resisted temptation once. She had all the faith needed inside her that she could do it again.
The witch set her sphere on the desk in Roman’s hall, feeling her heart ready to burst right out of her chest. The orb began to spin, sparkling a soft, brown color, as she lightly tapped the top end of her staff on it. It brought the view of a most familiar place: Ray’s cabin, in particular, his kitchen. Julia was standing beside the sink, as her mate and Cliff had a conversation. But, this was no ordinary discussion. There was hardness in the young Bradford’s face. His brows were furrowed, as the FBI agent shouted at him. Suddenly, Ray made a fatal mistake, one that sent slivers of fear slicing through her. A gray glow spread across his eyes. Obviously, his wolf was aching to be released. It was in that moment that Kate’s words flashed into Helena’s mind:
“None of the Bradford’s can go anywhere near those feds. They all glare, and when they do, their eyes change color.”
“Damn it, Ray…” she whispered, unable to believe her eyes. Helena glanced at the clock, above the front door. The time was 9:12. The darkness outside the kitchen window told her that Cliff had visited them during the night. A look up at her own clock informed her that the incident was only fifteen minutes away. She wouldn’t watch any more of that scene. The outcome was of no importance at all; the damage had already been done. A subsequent tap of her index finger on the sphere made it spin faster. Darkness quickly faded into daylight. Still, the next image on the glass surface shattered her heart to a million pieces. The four FBI agents she had run into at the science facility were lined up in the Bradford’s yard. They wore body armor
, and, shockingly, they were not alone. A fully armed, tactical team had joined them. All of them were pointing their weapons up at Ray’s front door.
Once again, Helena had to step in. In essence, she had to protect Ray from himself. Of course, she had no idea as to why Cliff had visited the Bradford’s estate in the first place, but that didn’t matter. Something led him there; yet, discovering what, was secondary. Now, she had to prevent another disaster, perhaps the biggest one yet, from happening.
With a snap of her fingers, Helena found herself in the Bradford’s yard, right in front of Ray’s cabin. The lights in it were on, unlike the other three cabins. The gentle rain that had welcomed her in Shandaken that morning had shifted into a powerful torrent, drenching everything in its path. Judging by the high beams on the driveway to her right, she had arrived there not a moment too soon. One black SUV was there. Cliff turned off the lights and then the engine, before stepping out of the vehicle.
“Helena?” his deep voice echoed in the wilderness, as their eyes met. Understanding that she had to find a way to lure him off of their property, the witch kept her mouth shut. She turned to the left, and turned her back on him, as she shuffled off towards the forest. Helena exhaled hard, in the hope that her presence would distract him, as her slow footfalls brought her closer to the woods. In a matter of seconds, she realized that her simple plan had worked to perfection. The sound of Cliff’s shoes on the soaked cement of the driveway ripped through the atmosphere, as he jogged towards her.
“Helena, wait!” he cried, as he closed in on her.
“What are you doing here, agent Daniels?” she sullenly asked, stopping beside the outer wall of Ray’s cabin, her gaze locked on the trees up ahead. “You want to share those stories with the Bradford’s?”
“I just wanted to ask them a few, routine questions,” Cliff retorted, as he halted behind her. “Are you still mad at me about this morning?”
“Of course I’m mad at you!” Helena grumbled, her heartbeat escalating, as she spun around to face him. “I told you how my parents died, and all you wound up doing was asking me about some…” she cringed at what she was about to say, “…ancient books. You know what the funny part is?” She asked, her voice losing volume, as she leaned closer to him.
“What?”
“After what happened back at your hotel, I thought you and I had a connection,” she said, her tone of voice softening, as she watched raindrops flowing down his cheeks. “This morning, you smiled at me. I know a flirting sign when I see one. But then, you were just…” she paused, “…disrespectful to me. You ruined everything.”
A bitter smile formed on Cliff’s face, as he looked down deep into her eyes. Helena waited for his rebuttal; yet he did not part his lips to speak. Instead, he leaned down, slowly lifting his hands up to her face. Hot sparks of electrical current coursed through her, as his fingertips made contact with the skin on her jaw. The witch closed her eyes against how good it felt to have a handsome man’s touch after such a long time. Her temptation was barely half an inch away from her. This time though, her limbs were paralyzed. She couldn’t find the strength to resist him.
“We do have a connection,” he admitted, his baritone lowering to a tender whisper, as the tip of his nose brushed hers. “Forgive me. I don’t know what came over me.”
Circling her arms around his waist, Helena felt her heart pounding in her chest, as his lips surrounded hers. Cliff’s fingers slowly slid up her face, at the same time pulling her closer to him, as a brilliant fork of lightning crackled through the atmosphere. The ground rumbled beneath her feet, as she surrendered to his soft, warm kiss. His right hand did not stop at her cheek. Instead, it continued upwards, caressing her, as she sensed the smoothness of his clean-shaven chin on her skin. Cliff threaded his fingers through her wet hair, as she slid her hand up his side. A long sigh of pleasure escaped her, as she cupped the back of his head. She felt moisture and tension in her palm, as he trailed his fingers across her cheek. Helena’s temptation was proving to be much sweeter than she had dared to anticipate. There was no awkwardness or hesitation in Cliff’s kiss. On the contrary, it was filled with tenderness and care, as if the two of them had known each other for a while. With one more, gentle brush of his lips on her mouth, Cliff swept his thumb along her forehead, as his eyelids slid open.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” he breathed out, as the corners of his lips quirked up in a small smile.
“Ok,” she whispered, giving him a quick nod, as a broad smile spread across her face. “You do that.”
“I should go,” Cliff murmured, stroking her cheek. “I’m tired, and we’re getting soaked out here.”
“What about those ‘routine questions’ you mentioned?” Helena wondered, putting a little force in her voice.
“Nah, they can wait,” he responded, his eyes filled with a calmness she had yet to witness up to this point. “Just tell the Bradford’s to stop by the station one of these days. Listen, are you free tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” she was quick to respond. “Why?”
“I’d like to take you to a dance club, but I don’t know any places in Shandaken.” Cliff stated. “There’s a pretty good one in my hotel, but…”
“That’ll be fine,” Helena interrupted, giving an approving nod. “I’ll be there at nine.”
“It’s a date, then,” he said with a smile, as he tilted his head down. Tilting his head down, he held her close, and planted a short kiss on her lips. It didn’t last more than two seconds, but it was enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath on her cold, wet skin.
“Goodnight, Helena,” Cliff whispered, the vapors from his breath clouding her vision, as he eased back. She breathed a sigh of relief, watching as he jogged away from her. Her actions had prevented a disaster of epic proportions. Helena’s family was intact, and, more importantly, out of trouble. But, relief was not the only emotion in her racing heart. At last, she had what she desired from Cliff. Even though part of her rebelled against that thought, a larger part craved his attention, and, with the way he treated her, he made her want him even more.
Helena threw a quick glance up at Ray’s kitchen window. She would love to lecture him on controlling his temper, but, she had to do that to Raul and Dean as well. The second son might have been more restrained than his brothers, but he also had to hear what she had to say. Still, neither of them was home. Helena was compelled to leave. She could speak to them in the morning. Just when she made up her mind, however, Ray’s front door swung open. It was Julia.
“I knew I smelled a human,” she emphasized, as a glorious smile lit up her face. “Well, don’t just stand there. Come on in.”
Chapter Ten
Julia: the craziest of the trio of humans that had danced into the Bradford brothers’ lives, was not really the person that Helena wished to address. Ray’s mate loved to be sarcastic, and her crude remarks were even worse than Kate’s. Yes, the witch considered her a friend; she had saved her life once by putting the wolf in her, but she would much rather talk to Monica or Kate. Still, Helena would not turn down her offer. She didn’t want to be alone that night. The company of two sounded better than no company at all.
“Actually, I picked up two different scents;” Julia confessed, tossing a white, dry towel over to Helena after her guest had stepped inside, “yours and someone else’s. Who was it? What were you doing out in the rain, anyway?”
“His name is Cliff,” Helena replied, unable to stop smiling, as she wiped the water off of her hair. “In response to your other question, use your imagination.”
“Huh!” Julia gasped, opening her eyes wide, as she thrust her hand up to cover her mouth. “Oh, my God; you were kissing?”
“Well; yes,” Helena retorted, as smugness crept into her smile. “It was our first kiss.”
“First kiss? Standing in the rain?” Julia asked, pulling her hand away from her face. “Seriously?”
“That’s an ideal way to start a relat
ionship,” declared Monica, the sweetness in her voice resounding throughout the cabin as she came down the stairs. “I’m really happy for you.”
“Monica, thank God you’re here,” Helena sighed in relief, as she turned her gaze to her. “I’ve been dying to talk to someone about this. Where’s the baby? Where are your men?”
“I just tucked her in. The guys are out to get dinner,” Monica informed her as she left the staircase behind her. “So, how was it?”
“Wait a minute,” Julia interjected in a firm tone. “‘Monica, thank God you’re here? You’ve been dying to talk to someone about this?’ What’s the matter; am I not good enough for you to talk to?”
“Julia, I like you; I truly do.” Helena confessed, feeling red heat rising up her cheeks once again that night. “You’re really fun, and you make Ray so happy. It’s just that, sometimes, you’re a little too…” she paused, “ultrasonic for my taste.”
“No, I’m not,” Julia countered, a hint of annoyance in her tone, as she narrowed her eyes at her.
“Yes, you are, honey,” Monica affirmed, not taking her eyes off Helena. “Did I hear you right? His name is Cliff; the same Cliff who works for the FBI?” she queried the witch.
“Indeed,” Helena sighed, her smile vanishing, as she set the wet towel down on the counter. “I paid him a visit, up at the sheriff’s station in Shandaken. He asked me about the color of my eyes. I told him the truth. Then, he started mentioning some old books about shifters in Paxton. I said they were myths. When he insisted, I just stormed out. Anyway, I pried into his future. I saw him standing over there.” Helena pointed down, at a spot close to the front door. “He was yelling at Ray. Ray glared at him with his wolf eyes. The next day, there was a tactical team right outside. Obviously, Cliff figured everything out. Girls, you need to talk to your mates. Cliff is an FBI agent; it’s his job to ask questions. It is vital that both of them maintain their composure. I know it isn’t easy; I mean, he can very pushy, he even enraged me this morning, but if Raul and Ray crack, it will be our downfall.”
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