“Hey.” Monica yawned. “Good to meet you. What time is it?”
“6:30 p.m.,” Melissa replied.
“What?” Monica squeaked as her eyes snapped open. “I’ve been sleeping for–”
“Twenty hours.” Melissa said, arising to her imposing stature. “Do you really like to sleep that much, or was that just how messed up you were?”
“Ahem,” Monica cleared her throat. “Listen, with all due respect, that’s private, okay?”
“What you do with my brother? Sure.” Melissa replied, a hint of sarcasm in her somewhat deep voice. “But about the reason why you stormed out of the hall last night? Nah. I know, Monica. I get it. It’s a lot to take in.”
“That is a major understatement,” Monica said, scooting over to the edge of her bed. “Have you ever wanted to scream?” she asked, swiping the blanket away as she reached down for her boot.
“Plenty of times,” Melissa admitted with a nod. “Don’t worry, though. We’re all going to help you.”
“Help me?” Monica cast an ironic glance over her shoulder as she zipped up her boot. “I don’t need help, Melissa. I’m perfectly capable of understanding what’s happening here. What I really need…,” she paused as she shoved her other foot into her boot, “…is to see Raul.”
“He said you were gutsy.” Melissa gave a short chuckle. “It’s not just a matter of understanding, Monica. Anyway, they’re waiting for us in the hall.”
“Who’s ‘they?’”
“My brothers and Helena,” Melissa explained. “The witch paid us a visit last night, too. Come on. Let’s go.”
Monica didn’t like what she had just heard. The presence of Raul’s entire family there would render it impossible for her to talk to him in private. All the same, Melissa was not the one to discuss this matter with. So, she kept her mouth shut and left the bedroom behind her, wondering how to approach the man she had cried for last night. Consumed by guilt, she stared down at the worn-out floor, walking alongside Melissa as the scene of the hall replayed in her mind.
Then there was his grandfather’s letter, serving as a hellish reminder of how she would be responsible for Raul’s untimely demise. Regardless of her emotional state, though, Monica had to be strong. An emotional breakdown in front of his siblings would humiliate her and would not make things any better, either.
Luckily for her, he was not inside the hall. Instead, Raul was leaning against the left side of the doorframe, tension splashed all over his face.
“I thought you’d never wake up,” he muttered, the corner of his lips quirking up as he flashed a bright-eyed glance at her.
“Well, I did,” she smiled embarrassingly. “Listen, can I talk to you in private?”
“Sure,” Raul nodded. “Melissa, tell them we’ll be back later.”
“So,” Monica drew in a sharp breath as Raul’s sister closed the door behind her, “yesterday was really intense.”
“Walk with me,” he urged, offering his hand as he turned to the left. “You wouldn’t storm out of the hall if it was just ‘intense,’ Monica.”
“I found a letter last night,” she said, her voice barely audible as she entwined her hand with his. “It was written by–”
“You mean this letter?” Raul interrupted, looking down at her as he pulled a yellow piece of paper out of his pocket. “Melissa found it on the floor.”
“I’m really sorry, Raul.” Monica sighed, trying to overcome the small shock his words had given her. “All of this is my fault.”
“Sorry?!” he exclaimed, his brows popping up as he turned to face her. Raul lifted his hands to her face as she dropped her gaze from his fiery stare. Leaning in toward her, he traced the dark circles under her eyes as she shook her head. “Sorry for what, Monica? Saving me? Me, saving you? Dating me? No, doc, don’t be. We make our choices, and we live by them. Besides, how were you supposed to know?” he said, his voice but a whisper, his lips barely an inch away from her nose.
“Please, tell me. Are you….” She faltered, feeling tears welling up in her eyes as her lips quivered. “Are you in love with me?”
“You put your hand over my heart last night.” Raul whispered, caressing her skin as he rested his forehead against hers. “What did it tell you?”
“Yes,” she said on an exhale as a tear raced down her face.
“I knew it, Monica,” he admitted with a soft nod. “I knew it since the moment I saw you sleeping on that couch. I knew I’d fall hopelessly in love with you. Do you know what I did first, when I woke up?”
“What?” Monica swallowed hard.
“I kissed you,” he replied as a short smile formed on his face. “It was only for a second. Our lips barely touched, but that’s what I did. You looked like a porcelain doll. I couldn’t resist.”
“I’m trapped, Raul,” she confessed as another tear ran down her cheek. “I feel like I don’t have a choice. If I leave you now, you will die. If I stay here, even if we are mated someday, you’ll still outlive me and die of a broken heart. What should I do?”
“Stay,” Raul heaved a long, heavy sigh, sliding his right hand up and into her hair as a film of moisture covered his eyes. “Stay with me. I don’t give a damn about the prophecy. I don’t care if I die sooner, Monica. It’s better to have a life that matters than no life at all.”
The power of his words went through Monica’s bones and warmed her stomach. He was prepared to give up almost half his life for her. It was then that she discovered the uselessness of her question. She didn’t have to ask about his feelings for her. Still, she had fallen prey to her hopelessness and her sorrow. Monica had to pose that question, and now, his answer had sent fresh waves of bliss rippling through her. And it was more than happiness that had made her heart flutter. Relief and awe washed over her like an ocean’s wave splashing over and around a rock.
She brought her hands up to cup his face, gazing deeply into his watery eyes. Monica tilted her head up, seeking his lips more desperately than ever before. Their lips locked in a gentle, passionate kiss as Raul snaked his arms around her neck. Lost in his embrace, she felt surrounded by his love. More than ever, her wolf had proved to her that his feelings ran much deeper than just lust. For Monica, this was the noblest thing he could possibly do. She moved her lips over to his cheek and planted one last kiss on his skin, her arms curling around his neck as she put her head on his chest.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Raul,” she whispered, tightening her hold.
“So are you to me, Dr. Mills,” he sighed once more, caressing her back over her shirt. “So are you. Now,” he added, easing out of her embrace, “we need to go back in that hall. There are a few things you need to know.”
Chapter Eighteen
The ‘hall of utter bewilderment’ (so named by Monica) neither looked nor felt the same anymore. Now, Monica was more than happy to return to the place where she had very nearly collapsed the night before. She may have had questions of her own, some of which frightened her, but Raul’s words had set all her fears at ease. With him by her side, she wouldn’t be intimidated by prophecies, shape shifters, or even witches.
Dean, Ray, Melissa, and Helena were in the middle of a heated argument as she and Raul joined them. The witch was shaking her head in disapproval, while the two brothers were yelling at each other. Melissa was standing in front of Dean, gripping him by the forearms, the veins on the side of her neck were throbbing as she shouted at him. Raul put his hands on his waist and then glanced down at Monica as if he’d been waiting for her advice. Still, the young brunette did not speak. She merely shrugged her shoulders, but the feel of the fine wood on her fingertips gave her an idea. With all her might, Monica pushed the door and slammed it shut, the massive bang resounding through the hall. It worked. Raul’s siblings turned to her simultaneously, while the witch had a mischievous smile on her face.
“It’s nice to see this works on shifters, too,” M
onica said as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Well, thank you.” Helena gave an appraising nod. “I was about to lose my patience.”
“Why don’t you tell her what you told me?” Raul suggested, sauntering toward the witch’s desk.
“Yes,” Helena said on an exhale. “After you left last night, I spoke to Raul about Warrick’s ‘grand’ plan. It was as simple as it was sinister. Raul is by far the biggest and most dominant member of his pack. However, this was not the only reason why his alpha wanted to eliminate him. He shares a strong bond with his siblings, and some of Warrick’s submissives seem to like him excessively. The alpha is smart. He would not risk losing one or more of his females to Raul. So, he instructed Bryant to taunt him. A fight between them would give an excuse to eliminate the competition.”
“I see,” Monica uttered, nodding at the same time. “How can you know all this? I mean, me, Raul, Warrick’s motives… how?”
“A prudent witch has spies, my dear Monica,” Helena claimed, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Birds, beasts–I see and hear everything in and around the town of Paxton.”
“What about Warrick? What are you going to do about him?” Monica waited with bated breath for the witch’s answer. Still, Helena would not give her one. Her smile was wiped off her face before she pursed her lips.
“That’s why we were arguing when you guys came in,” Melissa interjected. “Ray and I think we need to take him out. Dean believes it’s a bad idea.”
“It’s a shitty idea!” Dean cried, narrowing his eyes at his sister. “We’d risk open war with the rest of the pack!”
“I don’t think so,” Raul voiced his opinion. “The pack will pledge their allegiance to their new alpha as long as they’re convinced he’s stronger than the old one. That leaves us with just one option.”
“And that would be…?” Dean asked, irony dripping from his voice.
“I take him out.” Raul pointed at himself. “You guys stay out of it. I’ve been dying to tear that motherfucker apart. He’s caused enough trouble.”
“That’s the spirit, big brother.” Ray smiled up at him. “The question is ‘when.’”
“There are many factors to consider,” Helena asserted while moving around her desk. “Yes, the location is one of them, but timing is of the essence. I’m afraid you’re going to have to do this very soon, Raul, as in tonight. Before midnight. Before the pack goes on the prowl, looking for you. Come tomorrow, he’ll be in the search party. It will be much more challenging for you to isolate him.”
“Tonight?!” Monica exclaimed in a voice fraught with tension and fear as she opened her eyes wide.
“She’s right, doc,” Raul said, his voice calm and steady as he turned to her. “I’ll have the element of surprise. He won’t be expecting to see me, not hours before the fight.”
Monica stared up at him, the words on the tip of her tongue, but she had the same problem as before: his siblings and the witch’s presence. She wouldn’t voice her disagreement in front of them. Raul’s lips curled into a crooked smile as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Before she knew it, his fingers were wrapped around her wrist, gently pulling her aside. Monica glanced at the witch over her shoulder and then returned her attention to him as they closed in on the wall.
“Look,” Raul sighed, turning to face her. “I know you don’t like it. I know it’s last-minute, but it’s the only way.”
“My opinion’s not what matters here, Raul,” she said in a mellow tone, shaking her head. “This is much too dangerous. You could get killed out there.”
“I won’t,” he assured, lowering his voice. “It’s not just about my pride, Monica. I mean, sure, I want to punish that prick for trying to have me killed, but think about it. If I become alpha, I’ll abolish that goddamn rule. We’ll be free. Don’t you want that?”
For the second time that night, Raul’s will to do whatever it took to be with her made her heart melt. He was determined to jeopardize his life in order to have a relationship with her. Unable to force another word out of her throat, Monica simply nodded to him as a big smile lit up her glorious face. Raul responded with a massive grin of his own, bending his knees as his arms went around her waist. A fake scream left her lips as he lifted her up in the air. Raul brought Monica’s mouth to his level, and pressed his lips against hers as she draped her arms over his shoulders. Sadly, though, they wouldn’t enjoy this kiss. In an instant, slow claps filled the air. The three siblings were applauding.
“Arooooo!” Ray howled with his eyes closed as he tilted his head up.
“Damn mutts,” Raul grumbled as Monica burst into hearty laughter. She slid her hands across his shoulders and up his neck, studying every line of his face. The thought of him fighting against his alpha was enough to make the smile fall from her lips.
“Go,” she urged with a whisper. “Be careful out there. Come back to me.”
“I will, Monica.” He gave a firm nod. “Trust me. I will. Boys,” he continued, averting his gaze from her, “I’ll howl if everything goes well. Go to my cabin, and wait for me there.”
Chapter Nineteen
The Sutton Valley spread out before Raul as a crack of lightning tore through the night’s sky. The blinding flash revealed the towering trees as well as cabins and houses at the bottom of the mountain side as the first raindrops landed on his head. Within seconds, the soil welcomed the gentle rain as he put his hands on his waist. Closing his eyes, Raul pictured Monica with her sweet smile on her face, which had captured his heart ever since he saw it. A deep rumble rose up in his throat as he recalled the moment of their first kiss. It turned into a feral snarl as his eyes snapped open. Now, they both glowed bright yellow in the darkness as the beast within rumbled, aching to be released.
“I fight for my mate.”
At that, his legs shortened and thinned, his fur sprung from the top of his ears, while his nose, jaw bones, and chin gave its place to a muzzle. Claws sprang from the knuckles of his toes and fingers, his hips reshaped, and his eyes assumed a glimmering shade of yellow. The gray wolf jolted forward and down the mountain side, his large paws gathering moist soil. Spurred on by his righteous cause, he would do everything in his power to set himself and his Monica free of the rule that had been tormenting them both, even if that meant risking his life in the process. Warrick was a worthy adversary. He was just as strong as Raul and a more experienced fighter than him. Still, Raul would have agility and youth on his side as his alpha was older than him by a little more than a decade. Warrick might have been powerful, but Raul had a larger, emotional, motive and youth to assist him.
He loped through the forest, ears pricked high, tail straight out behind him as he sought the scent of his rival. The chances of finding him at Clover Lake were slim, but he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Warrick could sneak up from behind him and pounce on him in the blink of an eye. However, much to his relief, the aging alpha was nowhere to be seen or smelled this close to him yet. His scent was in the air, but it was much too faint. Raul would have been more worried if he didn’t smell him at all. It would be a clear sign of one of his most famous tricks that involved masking his scent.
After only a few minutes, he longingly looked back at his cabin as he sped past it. Nothing would make him happier than to go back in there with Monica, take her in his arms, and claim her yet again. However, this was no time for wishful thinking. It was time for action–long-overdue action. Warrick had to pay for his mistake. His title would not protect him from Raul’s wrath.
Houses and cabins began to blur by as the wolf quickened his pace. He was running parallel to the buildings, stealing glances at the people in their homes, out in their yards or on the road. By now, he was burning with determination to find his rival. Because Warrick wasn’t in the forest, he could only be in two places: Joe’s Diner or his home on the hill on the outskirts of Paxton.
As Raul headed toward the intersection that cut t
hrough the forest, he had already made up his mind. Should he turn left, he would soon find himself outside the diner, where Warrick and the rest of the pack often hung out. He knew it would be suicide. Therefore, he continued straight, leaving the road and that particular danger behind him.
Now, however, he could not run. His heavy paws made enough noise to alert anyone close to him. The gray wolf padded up the hill, craning his head, his gaze fixed on the only residence in the area. Before long, Warrick’s scent filled his nostrils. He was in his house, but he was not alone. One more familiar scent was in the air. It belonged to Jessica, one of the submissives. She would not defend her alpha. Her duties didn’t include fighting, and Jessica was not designed for it, either; by nature, submissives chose fleeing over battle.
Raul noticed the wide-open window in Warrick’s living room as he padded across his driveway. He struggled to stifle a sad yip as he realized that he had lost the element of surprise. They had smelled him as well. But the sadness didn’t linger long in his heart. In a split second, he raised his upper lip in a threatening grimace as a loud snarl rose from deep within his throat.
Hundreds of splinters of wood were thrown all over the cement as Warrick’s wolf jumped through his front door. Raul sat back on his haunches and then jumped up in the air, staring at his rival’s exposed canines. His alpha’s mouth was going straight for his throat. At the last second, Raul was able to push him back with his paw. Warrick’s jaws closed around thin air before he fell heavily to the ground. He landed hard on his left side, banging his head against the concrete. Raul saw a window of opportunity, and he would not let it go to waste. He let out a fierce growl, lunging toward Warrick, his eyes glazed over with fury as a crackling stream of lightning flashed and sizzled. But Raul’s opponent was fast, maybe faster than he expected. He rolled over onto his back and bounced up as a rumble of thunder rippled through the air. Warrick leapt upon him, his eyes flashing to a dark green in the darkness. Raul couldn’t support his weight. He fell hard to the ground, feeling his rival’s paws on his chest, pressing him down. An agonizing yip left his throat as Warrick sank his teeth into his right shoulder.
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