Suddenly, there was an explosive BANG! from outside. Snapping out of the blissful moment, Raphael and Skye ran towards the window. A shop in the distance had caught fire. People were running about in panic and screaming. Using their animal senses, both Skye and Raphael could make out the masked figures of thugs who were fleeing the scene. Fortunately, the explosion occurred right at the base of Notting Hill which meant there was a lot of security and on-call help. Men and women arrived immediately with hoses to put out the fire. Others bravely risked their own lives to see if there was anyone in the shop. But as the two Morphers continued to stare out of the window, they caught sight of one particular thug who had not bothered to hide his face. It was Finn Pearson and he was staring straight at them, a cruel smile lingering about his lips. Raphael’s nostrils flared and he twitched violently. But Skye placed a hand on his shoulder.
“No,” she said, her voice hard. “He wants you to go out there and face him. It’s what he wants. It won’t be long … The reinforcements have arrived. You said yourself it will be in the near future. Then we can get him. But not now.”
With a gentle, yet firm hand, she pulled him from the window. Together, they changed into their clothes and hurried downstairs. They entered the dining room where Lord Renzo, Joey, Ricardo (who looked flustered and out of breath) and a strange man who shared the Renzo good looks were sitting at the table.
“Raphael,” said Lord Renzo in a grave voice.
“Dad,” said Raphael, taking a seat and pulling a chair out for Skye. He gestured towards the strange man.
“This is my brother, Trey. Trey, this is Skye … my girl.”
Skye’s eyebrows flew upwards; Joey and Ricardo grinned roguishly at each other; a smile hid behind Lord Renzo’s beard.
“Nice to meet you,” said Skye, her cheeks hot with pleasure at Raphael’s introduction for her. Trey smiled at her before turning towards Lord Renzo.
“The thugs have got wind of the Chinese reinforcements,” he said, his voice serious. “That can be the only explanation for why they blew up the shop just now.”
“Ricardo, are there any casualties from the explosion?” said Lord Renzo, turning to the twin.
Ricardo, who had just sprinted back from the mayhem outside, shook his head.
“No – we were lucky. The shop was closed. Apparently, the owners were attending a Bar Mitzvah.”
“We couldn’t have expected this to stay secret for long,” said Trey. “This morning, two other explosions occurred South of London. It won’t be long before they break out completely. Dad, we can’t wait much longer. If there was ever a time to act, it’s now.”
Lord Renzo gazed into the distance, his expression unfathomable. Then he turned to Raphael.
“It appears the moment you have been waiting for has arrived, my son.”
There was a general sense of fear and adrenaline around the table. They knew ever since they heard the news that back-up had arrived that it would be soon – but not this soon. Lord Renzo had waited patiently for the time when they could declare a final war on the thugs of the city. Many people had lost their lives during the waiting period and others had been sacrificed as the thugs’ brutal play-things. But now …
Could this finally be it?
“There are dark days ahead of us and we must plan carefully. Everyone please leave the room. I must speak with Trey alone. Stay safe – do not go wandering outside alone or in any place where you could be targeted. Now, more than ever, vigilance is crucial.”
With that, Raphael, Skye, Joey and Ricardo left the room.
“Well, you two,” said Joey, once they were in the hallway, “first and foremost, congratulations! Didn’t know you had it in you, Raph! Quite honestly, the whole world’s just gone insane. You and Ricardo have both found yourselves girlfriends and we’re about to head towards a final battle with the thugs. Well – if I die, at least I can say there’s no other bed that has as many notches as mine! And I didn’t weasel out and get myself a girlfriend like you two.”
Slapping Raphael on the back and winking at Skye, he turned away, Ricardo following him.
“Ricardo and Daphne are together now?” said Skye, realizing she may have misjudged Ricardo after all.
“Yeah,” said Raphael, taking her hand and guiding her back to his room. They sat on the bed for a moment in silence; the sounds of wailing sirens could still be heard outside as fire engines continued to put out the fiery flames.
“It looks like this has come along a lot sooner than we thought,” said Raphael, moving close to her. “Skye, I told you earlier, I don’t want you in any danger. And things are going to kick off – really soon. I … I think you should leave the city for a bit. Take your mother and Daphne with you …”
“No!” said Skye furiously. “I’m not leaving! I just got you, there’s no way I’m losing you now! I’m sticking by your side, whether you like it or not!”
And she kissed him passionately on the mouth, as though that was to seal her vow, that she wasn’t going anywhere. He sighed, exasperated, and caressed her hair tenderly, but there was also a look in his eyes that signified how happy it made him that she was there, ready and willing to fight by his side.
“Oh! Your present! I forgot to give it to you!”
Raphael leapt from the bed and into his art room. When he returned, he was carrying one of his paintings, the one that had still been wet when Skye saw it last night.
“I was going to give it to you as a last resort ... to show you how I feel about you,” he said, handing it to her.
Just as she had marvelled at it yesterday, Skye took the painting and stared at the face of the white wolf that was in the middle of the orange and black, heart-shaped border.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“I call it ‘How The Tiger Lost His Heart,’” Raphael told her. “Sorry. I've got a thing about naming my paintings.”
“Well, I will keep it with me always,” she said, placing the painting on the side table and reaching her arms out to embrace him once more. “I should paint one for you, too, about how the wolf lost hers.” She smiled at him playfully. “Would you hang that on your wall?”
Raphael nuzzled her face.
“I would keep it on my wall, stare at it every day and think about the stubborn, hard-headed, incredible, beautiful wolf who lost her heart – and how I was the lucky one who found it.”
“You flatterer!” said Skye, giggling, as he buried his face in her neck and started to kiss her all over.
“Come on,” he said, enfolding her in his arms and carrying her from the bed. “Let’s get out of here for a while. Let’s go for a run. We don’t know how much longer we’ve got to do these things together before it turns nasty. Wish I could just wrap you up and keep you safe in my pocket. I love you, Skye, and I don’t ever want to let you go.”
They made their way downstairs, her hand in his, and walked outside, jumping into one of the family cars. They sped off down the roads, the cool breeze rushing through their hair. Stopping for some bubble tea, they then made their way to Hampstead Heath where the magnificent park lay, patiently waiting for them to cover the width and breadth of it.
As Skye transformed and sniffed the tiger beside her, nuzzling him affectionately, all she could think was how much she loved him and how he loved her in return, and how there was nothing on earth, not even the threat of the thugs and the inevitable war that was to come, that could ruin this feeling. Raphael broke into a run before her and she followed him; the two great beasts roared and howled in elation as they sprinted through the beauty that nature had to offer, knowing that there was nothing they couldn’t face in this world as long as they faced it together. In that moment, they were able to forget the horrors that would come and the dangers they would face. Skye bounded through the trees with the one she loved, the beautiful tiger who brought a joy to her that she had never known before.
If this is a dream, let me never awake, she thought, as she flew down the field
s, howling in ecstasy at the clear bright sky.
Epilogue
War was officially declared on September 27th 2217. Lord Renzo and Lord Pearson once again found themselves at the head of a brutal Civil War, not too different from the destructive chaos that had occurred only twelve years prior. Skye Archer and Raphael Renzo both played key roles during these turbulent times. The peaceful moments they shared together were not to last. A shocking development in China meant things did not go according to plan, and the city found itself dangerously close to obliteration.
For Skye and Raphael, who had only just discovered what it meant to feel complete with another human being, they were not so ready to give up their new-found happiness, nor watch their city crumble to dust. It was on that dark day towards the end of September that they realized just how far they were willing to go to fight for what they believed in. It was deep in the heart of the increasingly endangered city that Raphael faced his toughest battle yet …
Then, at that brink of time, it was discovered How The Tiger Faced His Challenge.
How The Wolf Lost Her Heart Page 24