A Wolf's Love (Wolf Mountain Peak Book 5)

by Sarah J. Stone

  “It’s just…” Martin paused, as he arose to his 6 ft. stature. “…wild, boss. But, you’re right. You’ve got no reason to lie. If Ray’s actually a prisoner, then we should all try to break him out of that shithole.”

  “Yeah!” Jimmy yelled with his fist up in the air, as he opened his eyes wide. “Let’s go kick some ass!”

  A battle cry echoed back at the walls of the diner, as his scout finished his sentence. Raul might have asked them to be quiet, but, he was not going to complain to them. Once more, they had proven their loyalty to him. He would have them by his side. Discretion was secondary to anything else.

  “That’s what I like to hear,” he gave Jimmy an appreciative nod. “Helena and I will be leading the offensive. I need you to stay behind us. Fifty, maybe sixty feet is good. You must hide, once we get there. When I give you the green light, tear those bastards apart. Any questions?”

  “It is show time, baby,” Dean snarled, averting his gaze from his Alpha to look around him. “Alright, you heard the man. Let’s go!”

  “Dean…” Raul spoke, beckoning him towards him. “Do a favor for me, will you?” He continued, as his brother halted before him. “Keep Julia close.”

  “I was going to anyway.” Dean winked at him. The Alpha dismissed him with a nod, as a shot of adrenaline rushed through his veins. Starting off to the exit, he bypassed his comrades, keeping his focus on the parking lot. His long strides led him out of the diner, as Helena followed right behind him. The Lockhart forest spread out before him, as he turned right and out of the lot. At that point, his grandfather’s words rang back into his mind, serving as a painful reminder of what the human race was really capable of:

  “Humans cannot be trusted.”

  Roman’s conclusion was generic. Not all humans are the same. Nevertheless, Raul couldn’t deny to himself that he did have a point, at least to an extent. His own brother, his flesh and blood, had been abducted by Monica’s ex-husband, just because he wanted to get back at him. Worse than that, it seemed that Riker was studying him, conducting experiments on him, because, for him, it was the only way to clear his name. Tom seemed willing to wreak havoc upon his family, and probably upon the entire town of Paxton, in order to prove to the press that the story of him being attacked by a massive wolf was not a figment of his imagination. In Raul’s mind, this was insanity at its finest. And he was determined to make him pay dearly for it.

  “It’s still quite early.” Helena remarked, as they entered the forest. “I doubt we’ll find Riker in there.”

  “The guy’s insane, Helena.” Raul grumbled, moving around a sizeable bush. “Trust me, he’ll be there.”

  “Firstborn, listen to me,” she spoke in a stiff tone, as she walked alongside to him. “I know you’re angry. Frankly: so am I. Those people have inflicted terrible damage on us. But: don’t let that anger cloud your judgment. Don’t allow it to get a hold of you.”

  “It’s been a while since you called me that,” he said, throwing a puzzled, sideways glance down at her. “I’ll try.”

  “Try hard,” Helena emphasized, as snow gave way beneath her feet. “Rage could lead you to do reckless things. What we need is a cool head, not recklessness.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that facility,” Raul confessed, a hint of worry in his tone. “That place will be full of evidence of my kind’s existence. Blood tests, DNA tests… We have to destroy it.”

  “We will,” she assured him, as sounds of the pack’s transformation ripped through the atmosphere. In an instant, hundreds of ribs were heard cracking, as the Alpha’s comrades ripped out of their human skins. “When you killed Warrick, I thought power was going to change you. I’m glad to say it didn’t.”

  “It does feel good.” He admitted with a short laugh. “It’s a little hard to not let it affect you, though. If it did, eventually, I’d end up like him: tyrannical, oppressive, and despised by my own pack. I don’t think they’d put up with me for long. Sooner or later, one of them would challenge me.”

  “And history would probably repeat itself,” Helena sighed, glancing up at him. “I wouldn’t hesitate to abandon you, if you became like him.”

  “Dean and I had a little chat last night.” The last verb she used stirred ugly memories within him. Raul’s voice lost most of its intensity as a bitter smile spread across his face. “He pointed out just how great everything has been since I took over. He mentioned ‘harmony.’ That harmony was disrupted, when you left. I’m not…” he faltered; “…scolding you for leaving. You’re a grown woman: you answer to no one; you make your own choices. But, next time you need a break, talk to me. Don’t just disappear on us.”

  “Please, don’t remind me,” Helena requested, bringing her attention to the trees up ahead. “What I did was way too abrupt. I shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

  Raul parted his lips, ready to come up with a rebuttal; yet, the foul stench that stormed into his nostrils forced him to reconsider: rotten flesh. It was as if he was in the vicinity of a corpse that had been outside for weeks.

  “I smell death,” he muttered under his breath, as the building they had been searching for came into view. Just as Helena had described, it was buried deep into the woods, located on a short hill, surrounded by greenery. Tree branches were hanging over the roof, whereas short bushes lined its front yard. Surprisingly enough, there was no fence around it whatsoever. On the contrary, it was wide open. The eight cars that were parked on the driveway to the right puzzled Raul even further. He had information about two scientists in there, not eight.

  “That smell must belong to our friend. Remember, vampires are dead.” Helena remarked, as a tall man, dressed in black, strolled into the yard. His black hair shone in the darkness, as he headed towards the entrance of the facility.

  “Goodness gracious!” The witch exclaimed, as her face fell and her eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief. “This is impossible!” she continued, shaking her head sideways.

  “What’s wrong?” Raul spoke too fast, as he turned to face her.

  “The vampire…” Helena whispered, swallowing hard, as she stared out at the stranger. “He’s my brother, Darryl. He must have fallen prey to some other vampire, back in L.A.”

  The revelation sent shockwaves down his spine. The Alpha stood in awe, gazing upon her, unable to force another word out of his throat. They were just up against a niece she had never seen in her whole life. That night, they had to get rid of a brother she had not seen in nearly eighty years. Raul’s heart sank, as he realized the impossible choice that Helena had to make, and, sadly for her, she only had to make it in a matter of seconds.

  “You can go back, if you like.” He uttered, attempting to speak in a soft, mellow tone, as he leaned closer to her. “The pack and I can handle this.”

  “There’s no going back now,” she stated, putting a little force in her voice, as she pressed her lips together. “Let’s do this,” she suggested, attempting to start forward.

  “That’s your brother over there,” Raul whispered, reaching towards her to grab her wrist. “Are you sure?”

  “That was my brother,” Helena corrected him, tossing a vicious glare up at him. “And I can’t wait to make him pay for what he’s done to my family.”

  “Ok,” Raul said on an exhale, releasing his grip around her wrist. The Alpha spoke no more. He wouldn’t insist. The stiffness on her face, along with her statements, did not leave any room for doubt. Helena was adamant. Nothing he could say or do would change her mind. Resuming his course towards the building, he threw a few, furtive glances around him, as the scent grew stronger. A bright, but narrow light in the lower left corner of the building caught his eye.

  “The basement: hang in there, Ray,” he thought to himself as the glass gate of the facility slid open sideways. Raul felt his blood boiling in his veins, as he spotted Donna and Tom, the two people directly responsible for his family’s suffering, exiting the building, and in the middle of a heated argume
nt. Just as they exited the building however, Darryl walked past them and disappeared into the darkness.

  “Your men are useless, Riker!” Donna yelled, her face contorting in an expression of rage, as she flipped around to face him. “We should have Julia by now!”

  “Isolating her from the Bradford’s is not easy,” Riker retorted, leaning closer to her. “We can always try again.”

  “Ahem…” Raul cleared his throat, as he padded up the hill.

  “Who’s there?” Riker’s nasal voice echoed in the wilderness, as he pointed a flashlight down at him. The Alpha lifted his hand up to his face, and shut his eyes, as the light blinded him.

  “It’s him,” Donna groaned, narrowing her eyes at him. “The Alpha: just how the hell did you find this place?”

  “First, you tell me whose body I cremated the other day,” Raul grumbled, folding his arms across his chest, as Riker lowered his flashlight. “Why the fuck would you have me believe my brother was dead? You want to use him as a lab rat? Is that it?”

  “I was out in the woods with a friend, a few days ago,” Riker smirked, as he pointed the beam back up to Raul’s face. This time, the Alpha did not react at all. Instead, he continued to stare at him. “I set up a trap for your wolf, but it didn’t go well. I ran into Donna. She said she’d been studying you and your pack, ever since you killed your Alpha. She knew everything about you. She also said she could help me track you freaks out. In exchange, I would help her get back at her aunt. The body you cremated was that friend. He was the same height as your brother, almost the same weight. Rob was a nice guy, but he had to go, God rest his soul.”

  “Get back at me?” Helena squeaked, pointing at herself, as she stopped beside Raul. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know her!”

  “You knew my father!” Donna cried, her voice breaking, as she glared down at Helena. “You kicked him out of Paxton, when he found out you were a witch!”

  “Is that what he told you?” Helena squinted at her, her surprise sending her voice one more octave up. “Darryl left Paxton, because he thought I was going to use witchcraft to control him. I promised I would stop, but he didn’t believe me.”

  “You lying bitch…” Donna spoke through gritted teeth, twisting her arm so that her palm faced up. Raul’s face twisted in fear, as a large ball of fire sprang up. Still, Helena didn’t even flinch. Her rival grunted, as she tossed the fireball down at her. Just before it made contact with her however, a red glow shot up from her chest, engulfing her, as the fire died out.

  “Protection spell, you silly little girl,” Helena smirked, gripping her staff with both hands. Pointing it at her, she thrust it to the right, as her eyes darkened with rage. Donna squealed in panic, as her feet left the ground. Raul watched, as her body was thrown across the forest. A cry of agony left her lips, as she landed face down on a thorny bush, just a few feet behind them. Breathing heavily, Helena turned around, as she pulled a silver dagger out of her inside pocket. She locked her gaze on her fallen adversary, as she threw her staff down on the ground. Dropping to her knees next to her, she reached down, and grabbed her by the shoulder. The witch twisted the knife in her hand, as she rolled Donna onto her back. She grabbed her by the collar of her dress, gazing down deep into her eyes, as she yanked her closer.

  “You mess with my family?” Helena breathed, maintaining a tight grip around the handle of her blade. “You die.”

  At that, she thrust her arm towards her foe. A choked breath left Donna’s lips, as Helena drove the dagger into her chest. Her niece’s mouth trembled, as Helena twisted the knife in the wound. Understanding that his partner had triumphed over her rival, Raul curled his fingers into fists, and burst forward, feeling his heart pounding like a war drum. Riker kept pointing his flashlight at him, as the Alpha rushed towards him, dying to snuff the life out of him. However, when he found himself just ten yards away from his foe, Riker reached behind his back. But, Raul was not going to stop. Not even the threat of a gun was enough to deter him. Lengthening his strides, he fixed his eyes on his face, as his rival gripped the handle of his firearm. A deep snarl escaped him, as he lunged towards Riker. The weight of his body knocked his adversary off balance, as his weapon slipped out of his grasp. A deep groan escaped Monica’s ex-husband, as he banged his head against the muddy soil. Raul thrust his arm up, and grabbed him by the neck, as he jerked his other arm back to punch him.

  “How’s the wrist, you motherfucker?” He snarled, his chest heaving, as he let his beast peer out of his eyes. Rotating his arm in midair, he laid a tremendous blow to Riker’s jaw. His painful grunt filled his ears, as his head was thrown back. “Remember that? Remember when you peed on yourself?” Raul growled, his fangs lengthening, as he landed yet another blow to Riker’s eye. Still, the commotion was bound to alert Darryl. More than ever, the Alpha needed his pack’s help.

  “Now!” His stentorian voice resounded through the wilderness as he whirled his head around. In a split second, the ground began to vibrate beneath his feet. Frenetic yips, as well as snarls and howls ripped through the air, as the pack closed in on the facility. Dean had kept his promise. Julia’s white wolf was on his right, as his light-brown wolf led the pack in his brother’s stead. Knowing that he didn’t have a lot of time, Raul leaned back, and put his feet back down on the ground. He sat up, maintaining a firm grip around Riker’s neck. Slowly, the Alpha arose to his impressive, 6’4” stature, staring down at his rival’s dizzy eyes. Reaching his other arm towards his opponent’s neck, he gripped him hard, the strenuous activity causing him to pant. Raul flexed every muscle in his arm, just before he spun Riker around. Once again, his cry echoed in the woods, as he slammed his foe up against the wall. Tom’s head left a trail of blood, as his body tumbled down to the ground.

  Hundreds of shards of glass were thrown across the ground, drawing Raul’s attention. Unfortunately though, he wasn’t given more than fractions of a second to react. Something blurred close to him, as Dean’s wolf leaped towards the entrance. Before he knew it, he felt pressure on his face. Three, consecutive blows to the chin and his jaw stunned him. Agony spread through his body, as Darryl grabbed him by the throat. His image was fading before him, as Raul struggled to focus his eyes on him.

  “Where is my daughter, wolf?” He asked, his voice a hoarse rumble, his fangs sparkling white as they lengthened. “Tell me, before I really lose my patience.”

  Feeling the coldness of his foe’s fingertips on his skin, the Alpha caught a glimpse of the mountain, out of the corner of his eye. The sun was still behind it. The first rays of sunlight were pushing their way up from the horizon. A raging snarl rumbled in his throat, as he fixed his gaze on the yellow eyes of his adversary. Raul parted his lips, exposing fangs and teeth alike, as he thrust both of his arms up. He grabbed Darryl by the wrist, and yanked his arm down. The vampire tossed his head back, squeezing his eyes shut, letting out a scream of pain, as the Alpha twisted it hard in his grasp. Spinning him around, Raul circled his other arm around his neck. He locked Darryl’s head in the crook between his arm and his elbow, breathing in gasps, as he flexed his muscles.

  “Guess what, you bloodsucking son of a bitch,” he growled, squeezing his rival’s wrist tighter in his hand. “She’s gone. And you’re about to join her.”

  A wave of blinding light washed over the valley, as the sun emerged from behind the mountain. The skin on Darryl’s face began to redden, as his deafening screams echoed in the wilderness. All of a sudden, the cold sensation of his body vanished altogether. Raul felt like he was touching hot magma. He released him immediately, watching as the vampire’s flesh peeled off his bones. Darryl’s body dropped onto the ground as steam rose off of him. A feeling of pride rushed through Raul’s senses, as he realized what he had achieved. But this was no time to celebrate. Ray was still in locked up in his cage.

  Turning left, he stormed into the building, as snarls, growls, and noises of breakage rang in his ears. The smell of blood was in the air, a
s he sprinted across a wide corridor. And, as he found himself in what appeared to be the main hall, he discovered why. Four scientists lay dead on the floor. Broken computer monitors, thousands of shards of glass, splinters of wood, as well as plastic cables surrounded them. Continuing straight ahead, Raul left the hall behind him. He noticed a railing in the upper right corner, as he entered a narrower corridor. The Alpha quickened his pace, at the same time seeking his brother’s scent. He jumped over the winding steps that separated him from the basement, as his ears caught a faint sound. As he stepped off the staircase, the sight that greeted him filled his heart with joy. There was a metal cage on the far wall. Julia was in human form, facing him, as she wept in Ray’s tight embrace.

  “Shhh…” He hissed, bending his head down to plant a tender kiss on her head. “It’s all over, mess.”

  “God, I’ve missed you…” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder, as a tear toppled over the edge of her eye. “I lost it when I saw that body.”

  Raul’s initial thought was to speak to him. He desired to hug his brother as well. Still, he didn’t have the heart to open his mouth. This was a private moment for them; he would ruin it, if he addressed Ray. Just as he was about to leave them alone however, Julia pulled her eyelids open.

  “I can wait upstairs,” he gave her a polite nod, as a smile of embarrassment burst upon his lips. The Alpha turned around, still feeling his adrenaline flowing in his veins. He sighed in relief, as it occurred to him that no harm had befallen Julia. Lazily climbing up the staircase, he raised his eyes. Helena was standing in the corridor. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, she had a stiff expression on her face.

  “He’s fine,” he informed her. “They were in the middle of something.”

  “That’s good, but everybody else isn’t,” she declared, a hint of discomfort in her tone. “The pack killed all the scientists. We cannot use accelerants to destroy the building. We have to make it look like an accident.”