“Oh, God…” Monica gave a short chuckle, shaking her head sideways, as he climbed the staircase. “I had almost forgotten how good it felt.”
“I’m guessing we can’t go inside.” Raul spoke in a low voice, as he swept the balcony.
“Not unless you want to be interrupted again.” She assumed a lazy tone, her eyes sparkling with bliss, as a slow smile formed on her face.
The Alpha did not dignify her comment with a comment of his own. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the blue sun chair, in the left corner of the balcony. Not wasting any more time, he passed her by, as drops of water raced down his chiseled abs. Raul jogged towards it, eager to take her in his arms, and make her feel like a woman once more that night. He lay down, as she sauntered towards him, sensually shaking her hips. Upon reaching him, Monica swung her left leg around the chair, as her smile disappeared. Her eyes had narrowed with lust, as she lowered herself onto him. Raul felt her dripping wet pussy on his balls, as she bent towards him. Her soft hands landed on his chest, as she pressed her lips against his mouth. Monica’s long fingernails lightly scratched his skin, as she pulled him into the magic of her kiss.
“Hot mama,” he whispered in her mouth, as he reached down. Gripping the bottom of his rock-hard shaft, he freed it, as he snaked his other arm around her waist. She swiped her tongue across his lower lip, as the swollen cockhead made contact with her soft pussy lips. Monica tipped her head back, as Raul’s cock slid through the wet folds of her womanhood.
“Yeah…” She hissed, licking her upper lip, as his shaft stretched her, going deeper inside her, as Raul licked her chin. His right hand gripped her hip as well, as he began to rock into her, feeling the heat of her pussy surrounding him. His lips collected tiny drops of water, as he kissed his way down her neck. Saltiness overwhelmed his senses, as he breathed hard on her skin. Monica tilted her head all the way back, exhaling hard, as his mouth traveled closer to her breasts. Raul let go of her right hip, and reached up, smoothing his other hand over her ass cheek. Driving his hand into her hair, he squeezed her delectable flesh, as he moved his lips over to her left breast. Kissing the underside, he let out a deep grunt, savoring the tenderness of her skin on his mouth, as he splayed his fingers over her ass.
“Sexy little doc,” Raul grunted, forcing a deeper moan from her, as he sank his very short fingernails into her skin. Releasing her hair, he slid his hand down her back, as Monica tipped her head forward once more. Second by second, she was leading him to a realm of ecstasy: her realm. She was not doing much to him, yet, the sensation of her pussy, clinging to his cock, and the simple fact that she was in his embrace were enough to sweep him off his feet. Monica pressed her lips against his cheek, as the flesh of her ass filled his left hand. It was as if she meant to distract him from kissing her breast; and it worked. Raul ran his tongue up her globe, flicking it over her nipple, just before their mouths joined in a sizzling hot kiss. She cupped his face in her hands, as he quickened his pace. He felt her thumbs on his temples, as he plowed away into her. His tongue crept into her mouth and found hers, as her muffled moans fueled his desire, causing his balls to tighten even more. Monica trailed her fingertips up his face, their tongues entwining with one another, as he released her butt cheeks.
“More…” she whimpered, as he bit her upper lip. “Give me more, baby. I’m close again.”
A deep groan served as his response, as his hard thrusts coaxed her closer to her second orgasm that night. He could feel her ass wobbling, as he held onto her hips. For a moment, he thought of cupping it yet again. Raul absolutely adored touching her there, and she loved it as well. Still, he would do no such thing. Instead, he preferred to let it brush his skin, as he pounded her pussy. Monica tossed her head back, abruptly ending their kiss, as she grabbed him by the hair. Her loud, wild moans ripped through the air, as pulsing ecstasy shot through her. Raul’s leg muscles tensed, as he stared at her bouncing breasts. Quickly pulling out, he grabbed the base of his shaft a split second before his own juices exploded out of him. His doctor tipped her head down, as she opened her eyes. Gasping for breath, she gave him one of her sweetest smiles, as she bent down towards him. Monica planted a juicy kiss on his lips, and put her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder.
“Thank you,” she purred, as he wrapped his arms around her back.
“Thank me?” He exclaimed, as his brows shot up. “What for?”
“For treating my body like it hasn’t changed,” Monica explained, her tone mellow, as she looked up at him. “For making me feel special.”
“Doc…” he snorted in amusement, as he caressed her lower back. “Your body hasn’t changed much. So what if you’re still carrying some pregnancy weight? You could turn into a five-hundred pound whale for all I care. You’d still turn me on. I’d still want to kiss you all over.”
“You’re too sweet, my Alpha,” she whispered, tapping her index finger on his cheekbone. Raul chose silence over conveying another truthful rebuttal. After all, words were not necessary at this time. All he had to do was gaze deeply into her eyes; the eyes that had captured his heart, ever since the night she found him on her doorstep. For him, this was more precious and more memorable than any type of conversation.
Chapter Thirteen
In the six days that followed, Raul, Monica and Helena had the time of their lives. They would meet as early in the morning as baby Helena allowed them to, and spend the day together. Ecstatic, the Alpha didn’t miss any chance to visit most of the magnificent, white-sand beaches with his family. He immersed himself in the vacation of his dreams. What could be better than enjoying the sunshine with your significant other, and the fruit of your love? Of course, his baby daughter sometimes cried or whined a little, here and there, but that was not enough to ruin anybody’s mood. For Raul, he had the most relaxing and fun filled days of his life. In fact, he liked Jamaica so much, he even discussed with Monica the idea of traveling to Jamaica again, sometime in the future.
However, all good things must end at some point, and their vacation didn’t break that rule. Disappointment unfurled in Raul’s chest on the day of their departure. It could take at least a year before he could afford another trip to the tropics. Furthermore, Helena was not coming back to Paxton before May. Nevertheless, the negative emotion vaporized, as he and his family boarded the plane home. Raul had wholly experienced an amazing time in Jamaica, and, more importantly, he had made sure that the witch, who had turned his and his siblings’ lives around, would eventually return. His spirits lifted even more as he pictured the moment he would see his brothers again. They would exchange their opinions on the matter, speak about what condensed news items he needed to know, and celebrate the fact that Helena would soon reunite with them.
As anyone would expect, Raul and Monica were all smiles as they rode in his truck, following the downhill road that led to his birthplace, on that crisp, late-February dawn. Yes, they had loved their vacation, but Raul had missed his siblings, just as Monica had missed her friends. As he closed in on the Bradford property however, he spotted something rather bizarre. It was 7:10 a.m., and yet, the lights above every cabin door were lit. Their workshop didn’t open until 8 a.m.; neither Dean nor Ray woke up for work before 7:30 a.m. in winter. The mystery found an answer as he turned right and into their driveway. But, nothing could have prepared him for the scene of utter devastation he found himself witnessing. Outside Ray’s cabin, Kate was crying in Dean’s arms, lightly punching his shoulder, whereas Melissa stood with her head on Joe’s shoulder. Julia sat, with her back leaning against the wall, and sobbed as she held her mate’s body in her arms. Tension tightened the back of Raul’s neck. His brother did not show any signs of life. The Alpha, unaware of his actions, stomped on the brakes, threw the truck into part and literally jumped out of his truck, setting his gaze on Julia. In an instant, he felt his heart racing so fast he thought it was going to rip out of his chest. Despite that feeling, his blood froze in his veins, as he hurled his body toward
s them. He smelled blood, and, in a few seconds, he even saw it. Ray’s white shirt was torn to shreds. The remaining fabric on his chest was covered with his blood.
“What happened?” he asked Julia, as he shortened his strides. Unfortunately however, his question did not find an answer. Instead, his brother’s mate slowly raised her eyes up to meet his. Puffy, reddened eyes, along with trembling lips, sent shockwaves down his spine. Two tears streamed down her face, as she parted her lips. But, Julia was obviously in no condition to speak. She didn’t have the heart to address him, or anybody else in this world. Ray, her own “light” as she called him, was lying dead in her arms. A huff of disbelief escaped Raul, as he thrust his arms up, cupped his forehead, and he shook his head sideways, unable to believe his eyes.
“No…” The voice that escaped him hardly resembled his own baritone. Its tonal color vanished altogether; helplessness replaced its deepness as he stared down at his brother’s peaceful face. Blood was smeared all over his right cheek, and had also stained his messy hair. Raul felt like the sharpest blade of this world had been thrust into his chest. Fate was twisting the sword in the wound, cutting him deeper, slicing and shredding his heart into a million pieces. The Alpha dropped to his knees, shutting his eyes, as he slid his hands down his face. Slowly, he reached his hand towards Ray’s cheek. The cold sensation of his skin on his fingertips gripped his heart like channel lock vice grips. In a split second, a torrent of tears rose up in his eyes. Raul made no effort to hold them back. He tipped his head down, pressing his lips together, as he trailed his index down, towards the seam of Ray’s lips. “My brother…” He helplessly whispered, as a tear raced down his cheek.
“Last night…” Dean’s broken voice rose above the sniffles and the sobs that surrounded their entire family. “He and Julia were having dinner at ‘Joe’s.’ At some point, everybody saw this…” he paused, “… really bright light in the woods. It had a strange, silvery glimmer. It was huge; a lot taller than the tallest tree. Right after that, the customers heard a deafening roar. They said it sounded a lot like a bear, but louder: a lot louder. Ray and Martin were the only two pack members in the area. He…” Dean snorted back a sob, as he ran his hand through his hair. “He asked Julia to stay put, and went out to investigate it. About five minutes later, the light disappeared. But, Ray didn’t come back. Twenty minutes after he’d left, Julia called me. We found him…” he faltered, squeezing his eyes shut, as Julia’s agonizing cry echoed in the wilderness, “…dead in a pool of his own blood.”
“Wake up, pretty boy,” Julia sniffled, staring down at Ray’s lifeless face, her knuckles white from gripping his body in her arms. “Please, don’t leave me here. I’m nothing without you.”
The Alpha removed his hand from his brother’s face, dragging his gaze down Ray’s arm. He reached toward his wrist, sorrow spreading within him like wildfire, as Monica hugged him from behind. Raul picked up Ray’s hand, and brought it up to his face, as his mate rested her head on his back. Holding it tightly in his hand, he pressed his lips onto his brother’s cold skin, as more and more tears streamed down his cheeks. There were a million things that he meant to say to him. Yet, fate’s hardest blow to his family had stripped him of the ability to speak. He felt as if he was living in a nightmare, where he could only visualize and hear everyone else’s pain. He could not utter a word. Raul squeezed Ray’s fingers, as he dropped his gaze down to the ground.
A thin raindrop landed on the back of his neck, just below his hairline. He peered skyward, feeling the cold driving into his bones. As if the gentle rain could add any comfort, the Alpha closed his eyes, welcoming a few more drops on his forehead. Second by second, the water filled every spot on his face, soaking his hair, as weeping and sobbing sounds scorched his insides. The most precious thing he had in this world, the value that had kept him going after the loss of his parents, his family, would never, ever be the same again.
Chapter Fourteen
Raul and Dean carried their brother’s body inside his cabin, and then up to his bedroom. As they set him down onto his bed, Monica suggested an idea. In spite of her obvious pain, she volunteered to examine the body. Having no idea what had caused this to a strong shifter like Ray, Raul and Dean agreed to it immediately. Still, Monica could not perform an autopsy in a cabin. She needed quite a lot of equipment that she could not simply borrow from the hospital. The brothers’ options were limited. If they wanted answers, they had to take Ray’s body to Shandaken hospital.
Minutes afterwards, it occurred to Raul that he had not been to the scene. He yearned to know more details about the circumstances of his brother’s death. Dean’s description was not thorough, but, given that he hadn’t been present, Raul couldn’t ask for more. So, the two of them decided to visit the spot where Ray had lost his life.
Raul left his truck in the parking lot, feeling numbness spreading across his body. His pain was still too fresh. All the same, he had to put it aside, even if only for a few minutes. He had to remain as calm as possible. It was nothing less than his brother’s memory deserved.
As the Alpha and Dean crossed the border of Lockhart forest, the terrifying notion that rushed into his mind froze the blood in his veins. His brother had mentioned a bear. Only one species of bear could pose a threat to a shifter: the grizzly. His grandfather had told him a few stories about battling and defeating large, territorial males. Still, that was a long time ago. No case of a shifter engaging a grizzly or vice versa had been reported in more than twenty years. It seemed like the bears had learned that fighting against shifters could lead to their own undoing. However, it was the loudness of the roar that troubled him the most. It meant that at least one bear shifter was on the prowl, somewhere near Paxton. Raul might have heard of those from his father, but he had never actually encountered one. If his hunch turned out to be true, he and his pack would have to fight yet another war, against an enemy twice their size.
His thumping heartbeat was ringing in his ears, as his slow, heavy footsteps led him closer to the scene. Dean threw a sad glance up at him over his shoulder, putting his hands on his waist, as he halted before the spot in question. But, what the two brothers came across did not look at all like what they expected. Dean stood just two feet away from a towering balsam fir tree, over an area of flattened grass. The rain had washed away most of the blood; only a few tips of weeds remained smudged. Raul looked around the flattened grass, but, to his astonishment, the two, rather large bushes further up into the forest, and the one to the right, were completely intact. The thick tree trunk was also in pristine condition. Only a few, tiny pieces of cortex were missing, as was the case with every tree in the woods.
“This can’t be right,” Raul remarked, pursing his lips, as he stepped beside Dean. “Are you sure this is where you found him?”
“I’m positive,” Dean replied, the emphasis in his tone not leaving any room for doubt. “I searched for blood trails last night. I found none. It’s like he…”
“What, fell off the tree?” Raul interrupted, curiosity written all over his face, as he cast a puzzled, sideways glance down at his brother. “That’s impossible, you know that. Besides, a fall doesn’t justify so much bleeding.”
“I was going to say ‘he was dumped here,’” Dean spoke, returning his attention to the grass. “But that’s not the weirdest part. Remember when I told you about a bear?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I found no tracks of that, either,” Dean’s announcement turned curiosity into sheer confusion. Raul sucked in a deep breath, shaking his head, as his brother brushed past him. “This is the clearest, most unobstructed path. Bears prefer those, in case they’re in a hurry. Look.” He urged, pointing down at the ground before him. “Do you see any footprints? Martin and Jimmy couldn’t find anything, either.”
Again, Dean had a point. Instead of being crushed, the grass in front of him was still standing. More questions: more riddles that baffled him, leaving him wondering precisely what h
ad transpired.
“This spot is less than a hundred yards away from Joe’s diner,” Raul stated. “If there was a battle, somebody must have heard something. Did they?”
“No.” Dean’s response was sharp, his tone firm. “Nobody heard anything: no snarls; no growls; nothing.”
“Just how the hell could someone kill Ray without leaving any traces behind?” Raul wondered, cocking his head in frustration and disbelief. “How do you take out a two-hundred pound wolf, without making a sound? He was still in human form. If he’d sensed the danger, he would have shifted. And, I still don’t know why Helena didn’t warn us about this?”
“According to Kate, we’re beyond her sight,” Dean’s explanation clarified things; yet, it didn’t make him feel any better. “She couldn’t have foreseen it. Don’t tell me you blame Helena for what happened.”
“No,” Raul said on an exhale. “I’m the Alpha. I am the pack’s protector. I’m the one who should have been looking out for him. I failed.”
“You’re supposed to lead us, not babysit us.” Dean raised his tone, a hint of disapproval in his voice, as he narrowed his eyes at him. “You have no right to feel guilty about this, you hear? Anyway, let’s go back home. We have a brother to pay homage to.”
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, once again, Dean was right. Raul was their leader, the man burdened with making all the tough decisions for them, not their caretaker. And, it had been a very long time since Ray had needed the help of his big brother in a fight. With a heavy heart, the Alpha started the short drive back home, wishing that he had never been in this position.
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