Chapter Nine
The Bradford’s birthplace had already been veiled in darkness as they headed back to their property. As short as it was, the drive didn’t allow much time for Raul to clear his head. At any rate though, he had reached a decision before he and his brothers crossed the town limits. Regardless of Kate’s interpretation, he would cease pursuing this quest for Helena. Not only had it drained him mentally, but it had also distracted him from more pressing matters, like the presence of an unknown witch in the area. The fact that Donna had not shown any hostility was a good sign. Still, it could all be a smokescreen. Raul had to take care of this, as soon as possible. He would either drive her out of Paxton, or end her. He also had to deal with Riker, and his insane plans to capture his wolf. This required a more delicate approach. This was precisely what the Alpha could not do, while looking for Helena: come up with an intelligent plan to get rid of his rival, once and for all, without having to kill him.
Raul might have been desperate to ask Kate about that riddle; but, as the high beams of his truck lit up his front yard, he realized that it would have to wait for a while longer. The pack’s scouts, Martin and Jimmy were pacing up and down, talking to one another as they did. Apparently, their search for Helena’s home had paid off. The vehicle’s tires screeched, as he stepped hard on the brakes. Grabbing the door handle, he stepped out of his truck, his gaze locked on Martin. Raul jogged towards him, bypassing his own cabin, as the light in his living room was switched on.
“Tell me you have something,” He urged, as Jimmy halted beside his comrade.
“Hey, boss. We do,” Martin affirmed with a swift nod. “We found the witch’s hideout. She’d covered the entrance with about a thousand tons of branches and brush, but we were able to sniff it out. It’s about a mile west of Clover Lake. We didn’t find much in there, just a truckload of books. But, there was something strange about that place.”
“What’s that?” Raul waited for his scout’s answer with bated breath, as his racing heartbeat pounded in his ears.
“Posters, boss.” Jimmy responded, leaning closer to his Alpha. “There were four of them, one on each wall, all of them depicting tropical seas. They each had ‘Caribbean’ written at the bottom corner.”
At last, here was an actual clue. It wasn’t much, but at least it was a start.
“Thank you, boys,” Raul dismissed them with a pat on the back, as Dean and Ray reached his spot. “Let me know if you find anything else.”
“Caribbean?” Dean muttered, brushing by him. “Do you think she’s there?”
“Where, exactly would that be?” Raul sighed, shuffling off behind his brother, as melodic, piano notes filled the air. “That sea’s full of islands.”
“Hey, honey,” Dean said, as their lazy footsteps brought them closer to his living room.
“Well, hello!” Kate assumed a happy tone, removing her hands from her piano keys, as she looked up at him. “How did it go?”
“Guess what,” Raul groaned, pulling the picture out of his back pocket, as Dean bent down to kiss her. “We found a riddle. We need your help,” he continued, handing the picture over to her.
“The pack also found some posters of tropical seas in her hideout. She loves the Caribbean.” Dean informed her, as she took the picture in her hands. “Do you have any idea where she might be?”
“Where did you find this again?” Kate squinted up at Dean, her curiosity somewhat puzzling Raul.
“I found it in one of the storage rooms,” Ray’s answer put a shrewd smile on her face, as she read the two, short sentences.
“What’s with the smile, Kate?” Raul spoke, a touch of suspicion in his baritone. “What are you not telling us?”
“I’ve been to all of those rooms and searched every box,” she emphasized, casting one last look down at the picture. “When last I checked, this picture wasn’t there. That was five days ago. Anyway, the Caribbean is always warm. The king she’s referring to is Bob Marley. I love his music; Helena and I used to talk about him a lot. He’s the Jamaican king of reggae music. He died of skin cancer, a long time ago.”
A sense of relief washed over Raul’s face, upon hearing Kate’s explanation. He knew where she was now. Nevertheless, he was confused. Who could have put that picture in the storage room? As he pursed his lips however, he was interrupted by the sound of a flushing toilet.
“Oh, yeah, that’s Jules,” Kate uttered, setting the picture down on the piano cover.
“Hey, you guys,” Julia’s voice came out hesitantly, as she came out of the bathroom. This was not at all like her. Ray loved to brag about how brash and wacky she was, and yet, at this moment, she looked more like a shy little girl.
“What’s the matter, Jules?” Ray inquired, as she slowly closed the distance between them, keeping her head down.
“I, um…” she sucked in a deep breath, as her gaze shot up to meet his. “I knew where Helena was all along. She asked me to keep it a secret. She didn’t want to be found. Before she left, she gave me this picture. She instructed me to use it when you guys started getting desperate. I’m sorry.”
Raul could not believe his ears. For nearly six months, he had been racking his brain as to where Helena could be. He was in the dark about her well-being. He was clueless about virtually everything that concerned her, and Julia had failed to say anything to him or his brother. Rolling his fingers into fists, he squeezed his eyes shut. But, just when he was about to explode in anger, he remembered a short sentence from her letter to him.
“I need a holiday.”
It was no secret that the Alpha, plus everybody in Paxton, had warm feelings for her. Still, what is love, if there is no room for mutual respect? He did love her; but, it would be extremely selfish of him to demand that she stay here, in Lockhart Forest, just because he wanted her to. It would be equally selfish of him to argue with Julia for keeping her promise to Helena. She had proved her love to her. Raul had to do the same.
“It’s ok,” he said on an exhale, dropping his gaze from her. “I can understand why you did it. How is she? Have you spoken to her lately?”
“She’s fine,” Julia nodded, as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “We talked on the phone last night. Life is slow there: quiet. She’s made a few new friends, too.”
“What are you going to do?” Dean wondered, lowering his tone, as he leaned closer to him.
“Nothing,” Raul responded, turning to him. “There’s nothing to do. She’s happy where she is, isn’t she?”
“Go see her,” Dean urged, raising his arm to his brother’s shoulder. “She’ll be glad to see you.”
“I have a child now, Dean,” Raul put a little force in his voice. “I can’t just leave them here.”
“Don’t worry about your family,” Dean whispered, squeezing his brother’s shoulder with his hand. “We’ll look after them. Monica and the baby can stay here as long as they like.”
His brother’s suggestion made his heart leap for joy. Raul had to admit to himself that the notion of traveling to Jamaica appealed to him. Not just because he would be going to a beautiful, sunny place, but also, he would finally have a chance to confront Helena. Their long overdue conversation was guaranteed to bring him some much needed peace of mind.
“Let me talk to Monica first,” Raul winked at Dean, putting a smile on his brother’s face. “I’ll call you later.”
Chapter Ten
With a heart full of hope, the Alpha walked into his cabin, hoping that his mate would not object to his absence. Monica was flipping through a magazine on their couch, with baby Helena in a pink bassinette beside her.
“Your friend Julia has not been playing nice,” Raul stated, sauntering towards his living room. “I ought to punish her somehow.”
“Punish? Julia?” Monica’s usually sweet voice went up an octave, her eyes widening, as she brought her attention to his face. “Why? What did she do?”
“It’s not what she did. It’s what she didn’t d
o,” He clarified, his lips curving into a bitter smile, as he drew closer to her. “She knew where Helena has been all this time, and she didn’t tell anyone.”
“Oh, my God!” Monica whispered, raising her hands up to her temples, as she stared at him in disbelief. “Why would she do that?”
“It’s not her fault,” Raul shook his head sideways, surprised that Julia hadn’t even confided in her friend, as he seated himself next to her. “Helena made her promise not to tell anyone. She’s in Jamaica.”
“J-Jamaica?” Monica stuttered, sliding her right hand down her face. “Please, tell me you’re not joking.”
“Why should I?” He shrugged his shoulders, leaning closer to her.
“This is fantastic!” She exclaimed as a glorious smile burst out upon her lips. “I’ve always wanted to visit the tropics.”
Her words shocked him to his very core. Incredibly enough, the love of his life, the nature enthusiast, the wolf lover, was thrilled by the idea of flying to Jamaica. However, the idea of a long flight to the Caribbean with their infant daughter did not go down well with him.
“Are you sure?” Raul asked as his voice softened and he reached out his hand to her wrist. “I mean, little Helena is going to be a handful in the flight over.”
“It won’t be as difficult as you might think,” Monica said, her tone of voice sweet, as he wrapped his fingers around her hand. “The flight isn’t that long. Plus, think about how happy Helena will be to see her. Come on; we’ve never really had a honeymoon. What would be better than a few days in the Caribbean?”
Her persistence and the sweetness that was written all over her face – the same expression that had made him fall in love with her in the first place – proved too much for him to resist. As usual, Monica was right in everything. Before she could even complete her last sentence, he had started picturing the moment when the witch would take his baby daughter in her embrace.
“Ok,” Raul sighed, as the corners of his lips quirked up into a smile. “Let’s do it.”
“Yes!” Monica cheered, her eyes sparkling with excitement, as she threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Thank you for being born,” he whispered, losing himself in her big, hazel eyes, as he tilted his head down. It was at that moment that he discovered the most important reason for his decision. That blissful look: that smile that graced her face; those quivering lips that sent chills rippling across his skin. There was no better mix than the one of happiness and beauty, and the Alpha was once again witness to it. Sadly though, a faint noise, along with a barely audible cry, forced him to tear his gaze away from her, to look down at the bassinette. Baby Helena was squirming, holding her tiny arms up.
“I’m such an idiot,” Monica groaned, whirling her head around. “I should have kept my voice down. She needs her sleep.”
“Give her to me,” Raul urged, this time not at all annoyed by the interruption. Peace was flowing through his veins, as if his doctor had somehow injected it into him, just by staring at him. “I need to have a word with her.”
“Come here, my little cupcake,” she spoke in a mellow, motherly tone, picking her up by sliding her left hand under her head, and the right one under her bottom and her hips. Monica turned around as Raul held out his hands. Gently, she placed their daughter into her father’s arms. Raul’s heart fluttered, as his fingertips made contact with the fabric of her pink romper. Gazing into baby Helena’s almond-shaped, bluish eyes, he splayed his fingers, as he lifted her to his chest. Then, he slid his left hand along her back. The infant’s head and neck slid along his forearm, and made their way into the crook of his arm and elbow.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he murmured and smiled, his baritone dropping to a soft, loving whisper. “I have news for you. We’re going on a trip. That’s right. We’re going to take you to meet Aunt Helena. You’re going to love her. Don’t let those red eyes spook you. She’s a great woman. Loving, thoughtful, caring… that’s why we named you after her.”
“I just hope she agrees to fly back to New York with us,” Monica heaved a long, deep sigh, leaning her right shoulder against the couch. “I’ve missed her; the other girls have missed her as well.”
“So have I,” Raul confessed while removing his hand from the baby’s back, in order to bring it up to Monica’s face. “But, I have no illusions; chances are she won’t.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree,” she murmured, tucking her legs under her. “I mean, if she wanted to be here, she would be.”
“It’s not a matter of will, doc,” he declared, tracing his index finger down baby Helena’s cheek. The heaviness in her blinking told him that she was just seconds away from falling back asleep. “She needed to get away from things around here.”
“Personally, I wouldn’t do that,” Monica claimed, as her mate handed their daughter back to her. “I would seek help. The best psychologist in the world doesn’t compare to the support you would get from your loved ones. I understand she has been scarred, both physically and psychologically; but, she shouldn’t have abandoned us like that.”
“Why don’t you save that little speech for when we meet her?” Raul suggested, with a gentle smile on his face, as Monica set their daughter back down into her bassinette. “Call Julia and ask her to give you Helena’s address. I’ll call the airport.”
At that, Raul arose to his impressive, 6’4” stature, as a sense of anticipation engulfed him. At last, he would get to see his beloved witch again; and, despite his initial objections, he would be accompanied by his family. Instinctively, he began to think about Helena’s reaction upon meeting with her namesake. He had a very good idea about what it would be like. After all this time, she was bound to get just as emotional as he and Monica. Still, Raul preferred to push that thought out of his mind. He knew that, no matter how well he pictured this, it would be a thousand times less powerful than their actual encounter.
Chapter Eleven
After calling JFK airport, Raul was happy to hear that the next available flight to Kingston, Jamaica was at 5:30pm, the next day. He and Monica had ample time to pack their bags, and go shopping for some new, lighter clothes for baby Helena in New York. The weather in Jamaica is always warm; much warmer than the freezing cold of Paxton in February.
Contrary to his belief, traveling with his infant daughter did not prove to be so challenging. She woke up a few times during the four-hour flight, but did not stay up much longer than the few minutes it took to feed or change her, thereby providing him the quiet he needed to collect his thoughts. Without a shadow of a doubt, Raul and Helena had a lot of catching up to do. First and foremost, however, he would show her precisely just how much he had missed her. The two of them had been through a lot. As much as her act had hurt him, he would not bring it up, at least not straight away. The Alpha owed her that much.
Up until the point when their plane touched down on the runway in Kingston, Raul did not know Helena’s address. Nevertheless, when he and his family entered the bustling terminal, Monica showed him Julia’s text message. The location was definitely something that the witch would choose. She lived up on Mystic Mountain, the only mountain on the entire island. Even in the tropics, Helena could not overcome her idiosyncrasies. It seemed like she was emotionally attached to the notion of living on higher ground.
Night had already fallen in the beautiful island when their cab turned left into Helena’s narrow, quiet neighborhood. The houses there were rather small, few and far between, and entirely made of wood. Raul paid the fare, and asked the driver to stop halfway through the street. The witch’s home was at the end of the neighborhood; he meant to surprise her. He pulled their suitcases and the stroller out of the trunk, feeling his heart ready to burst right out of his chest. The bright moon and the sea of stars up in the sky did not surprise him. He had seen those before; but, the sensation of the hot breeze on his skin was like the touch of heaven. Taking a few glances around him, he caught a glimps
e of Helena’s house, down the street and to the left. The light over the front door was on, revealing a blue, sun chair and a small pool. Someone was lying in it; still, Raul was too far to make out their identity. A short, white fence surrounded the property.
“Here we go,” he whispered, throwing an anxious, sideways glance down at Monica, as she grabbed the stroller handles. The two of them trundled off towards the house in question, almost at the same time. Holding their suitcases tightly in his hands, he turned his head to the right. The sight that greeted him blew his mind. Mystic Mountain overlooked Montego Bay. A wide, silver stream of moonlight was on the surface of the sea. Somehow, it resembled Clover Lake, but on a much, much larger scale. At any rate though, Raul could not be distracted. He wanted to maintain a stealthy approach, and looking away was not going to help him. Bringing his gaze back up ahead, he realized that the person lying in the sun chair was none other than Helena herself. Incredibly, she had a purple bikini on, as she gazed out at the view. She even brought a tall glass to her lips, and sipped some of her drink, before putting it back down on the ground. The witch was something that she could not be in Paxton: relaxed. Lengthening his strides, Raul stepped in front of his mate. Unfortunately though, this simple move ruined his plans, as a dry leaf was crushed underneath his shoe. Helena whipped her head to the right as a huff of exasperation left his lips.
“Oh, my goodness!” The witch exclaimed, her brows popping up and her jaw falling open in total disbelief as he halted just a few feet away from her. “Raul? Monica?” She squeaked, scooting her legs around her chair.
“Hey, Helena,” Raul cheerfully said as his face lit up with a broad smile. “How have you been?”
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