Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 104
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
“Yes,” Wendy gave a quick nod, her breath heavy. “Please, don’t hurt me.”
“Stay away from him, and I won’t,” Helena declared, slowly leaning back. “Don’t make me come back, or I’m the last thing you’ll ever lay your eyes on.”
At that, the view of the fumes before Ava’s wolf vanished altogether. In a mere instant, she was back on that plot of land, looking up at the windscreen of her car, feeling the lumpy floor mat underneath her paws. Shifting back into human form, she whirled her head to the right. Helena was biting her lower lip, holding back a sneer, her gaze settled on hers. However, her efforts were fruitless. Almost immediately, the witch burst out into a long, hearty laugh, her spine flexing and extending. Ava tilted her head forward, too, her own chuckle resounding through the car.
“Oh, my God…” she sneered, her forehead making contact with the steering wheel. “Did you see her shaking?”
“Yeah,” Helena giggled, clutching her stomach. “She almost had a heart attack.”
“Alright,” Ava gasped, leaning back. “Mission accomplished. Let me get my clothes back on.”
“Please do,” The witch encouraged, opening her eyes. “Get us out of here. I can’t help but wonder, though. She didn’t mention a child. If I were in her shoes, I’d beg for my kid’s life, not mine.”
“She was staring death in the eye, Helena,” Ava said, her tone firm while she reached for her sweater. “Why would she say anything about her kid to you?”
“I guess you’re right,” Helena spoke, while she rubbed her index finger across her chin. “Do you think she’ll do it?”
“Well, she’d better,” Ava grumbled. “Otherwise, I’ll kill those two men myself, very slowly. I’m thinking we should have told her to allow James visitation rights, but it’d be silly. I mean, a vicious…” she paused, “... ‘Whatever you are’, requesting something from a human? Nah; you’d look weak. It wouldn’t serve our purpose.”
“I second that,” Helena agreed with a nod. “Drive us back to Paxton, honey. Pray you won’t have to return to Cooperstown anytime soon.”
“You got it,” Ava said, straightening her sweater. Once more starting the engine, she turned her car around, and let it roll down the road. The beast within her, having served her purpose, was purring in satisfaction. Her rival was by no means dangerous, but, even that small display of power had filled her heart with pride. She couldn’t wait to share this news with James. Now, only time would tell whether Ava, and the witch had actually persuaded Wendy into canceling her plans to murder her ex-husband; or, if she had yielded to their blackmail in order to save her skin.
Chapter Twelve
With a smile of contentment gracing her face, Ava drove back into her town. She had done everything she thought she could in order to spare James of a horrible result; an early death without ever seeing his son again. At last, after months of knowing him, she would get another taste of his true character. The brooder was all too familiar to her. Now, with a major problem solved, he could get some peace of mind and relax; or, at least that’s what she thought.
Nevertheless when she approached her cabin, the sound coming from her living room disappointed her expectations. A huff of exasperation escaped her when her ears caught James’s quick, heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor. Without wasting any time, she grabbed the doorknob and swung her front door open. She found him pacing up and down, scratching his cheek. At her sight though, he came to an abrupt stop.
“What, exactly, did you do?” he asked, his voice filled with tension, his hands on either hip.
“I still remember your irony, back on Wolf Mountain,” Ava groaned, her face hardening slamming her front door shut. “Tell me why I shouldn’t say the exact same thing to you.”
“Ava, please,” James lowered his tone, his chest heaving. “Talk to me.”
“Helena used magic to cover herself and my wolf,” she explained, folding her arms across her chest defensively. “We hid in a cloud of smoke, so that Wendy couldn’t see us. Anyway, Helena threatened to kill her, if she didn’t call off her goons. Seriously, what did you expect? That we were going to go there, and have a friendly chat with her?”
“She called me, about an hour ago, claiming that some kind of monster and a huge wolf were at her house,” he informed, his voice picking up speed and volume. “She said I didn’t have to worry about my life anymore; but, after this, I could give up all hope of ever seeing my boy again. They’re moving out of Cooperstown, first thing in the morning. Wendy hadn’t decided where they’d go, but, she also said that, even if she had, she wouldn’t tell me.”
“Oh, my God…” Ava whispered, sighing in desperation, shutting her eyes and lifting her hands up to her temples. Waves of shock coursed through her entire being with the realization that, not only had she not helped him; she had managed to make matters even worse for him. He had lost his last hope of reconnecting with his flesh and blood due to her actions. She wasn’t going to see the smiling James that night. If anything, she would have a front row seat as she watched his descent into a sea of helplessness. Unable to keep herself upright anymore, Ava dropped to her knees, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Look, I appreciate your help,” James said, his voice wobbly as he started towards her. “I have to head over there, see if I can talk her out of it.”
“You are going nowhere!” shouted a familiar, yet infuriated, voice that rang in Ava’s sensitive ears. Peering through splayed fingers, she discovered its origin. Helena was standing on James’s left, pointing her staff up at him, with a look of stone-cold determination on her face. “Sit down! Now! Ava, get up!” she yelled, locking her gaze on his.
“But…”
“Sit!” Helena interrupted, furrowing her brow. “You might want to hear this.”
“What is it?” Ava wondered, rising up to her full 5’7” height.
“I teleported back to Cooperstown,” the witch stated, her tone still stiff. James backed up and seated himself on the couch. “I couldn’t fathom how an ordinary kindergarten teacher like her could afford not just one, but two hit men. Assassinations cost a lot of money. I stayed completely hidden this time. She didn’t know I was there. I overheard her talking on the phone with a Samuel Davis. He’s a real estate tycoon, and, judging by her tone, her boyfriend. He’s the one who paid off those men to kill James. The best part is that Wendy asked him to find more people, willing to take James’s life for the right amount. By the sounds of it, he said ‘no.’ Wendy started screaming at him, calling him ‘cheap.’ I also found out why she failed to mention little Sean, but that’s of little importance. He’s spending the night at his grandparents’ house in New York. They’re bringing him back tomorrow night.”
“Son of a bitch, I knew it!” Ava yelled, banging her head down in a spasm of rage. She felt her adrenaline blasting through her veins. “I knew she wouldn’t stop!”
“Holy mother of God,” James huffed out in shock, tilting his head back and running his hand through his hair.
“We need to change our strategy,” Helena concluded softly, her tone now calm, unaffected by their reactions. “Clearly, intimidation is not working.”
“Gladly,” Ava muttered, her breath getting heavier. “When do we go back to Cooperstown?”
“We don’t,” the witch’s response was sharp. “Think about it, pup. Who is supporting her? Who is her ‘sponsor’ so to speak? We’re not going after Wendy. We’re going after Davis.”
“Alright,” Ava nodded, swallowing hard. “How do you suggest we do this?”
“Patience,” Helena advised, intensifying her stare. “Wendy asked him ‘what time is it there?’ My guess is he’s out of state. I need some time to dig up more information on him, too. In the meantime, don’t venture out too far.”
Upon completing her sentence, the witch of Paxton vanished into thin air, leaving Ava still trying to recover from the massive shock. She couldn’t wrap her head around Wendy’s determination to kill the father of her child. Yet, she was an outsider; she wasn’t directly involved. A simple glance down at the man who actually was involved, the person being targeted, told her that her own emotions were nothing compared to James’s torture. He was staring into the void: gripping a handful of his hair; and tears were streaming down his face. The silence was so thick that she could cut it with a knife. Wracking her brain about how she could possibly soothe him, she began towards him.
“A penny for your thoughts?” uttered Ava, her tone low, approaching him slowly, and sitting down next to him.
“I don’t recognize her anymore,” James murmured, releasing his grip on his hair. “The woman I married wouldn’t hurt a fly, before we broke up. Now, she’s coming after me with everything she’s got or can find. Why? What happened to her?”
“I’m afraid she’s the only one who can answer that question,” Ava said, circling her left arm around his upper back.
“Look at you,” he whispered, turning to her. “I’ve been messing your life up, and you haven’t said a word of complaint. I live here, I’m sad, I haven’t done anything for you, but you go out trying to solve my problems. Is this how all you wolves treat humans, or is it just you?”
“I don’t care about what others do, James,” Ava’s voice rose with intensity and he leaned his back against the couch. “I see a broken man in you, and I want to help fix him,” she continued, sensing her heartbeat picking up speed.
“Why?” James shrugged his shoulders; curiosity spread over his face. “My life is one huge mess.”
“Because I want to believe you can come back,” Ava whispered. He lifted his hand up to her face. The faint sound of a smile filled her ears, just before she closed her eyes at how good it felt to have his warm, rough palm on her skin. The sensation that followed sent butterflies tumbling through her stomach: the feeling began when James’s lips brushed hers. One tentative touch, and then a stroke of his thumb across her cheek raised every fine hair in her body. Ava reached her free arm up to his chest as their mouths joined in a long, tender kiss. He pressed his fingers into her skin, pulling her closer to him while her palm traveled up his body. At that moment, it occurred to her that she didn’t have to solve his problem, to see who he really was. Yes, there was a ton of sorrow in his eyes, but, behind it, was the sweetness that she had been longing to taste. He was giving it to her freely, stroking his lips over hers in a slow, tantalizing rhythm. He seemed to be savoring every single second of their kiss. There was no firmness, no demand, but just an obvious will to demonstrate his gratitude. Moving his mouth up, he planted a quick kiss on the bridge of her nose, and one on her forehead, before pulling her into his embrace.
“You’re an incredible woman, Ava,” James sighed, sliding his fingers up into her hair. “A lot of people I know would admire your courage. But, it’s time you stopped trying to solve my problems.”
“Thanks,” Ava whispered, opening her eyes and easing herself back from him. “What do you mean?”
“No more ‘Mr. Nice Guy.’ I’m done waiting for her permission to see him,” he said, his voice stiffening more and more by the second. “I only want you to drive me up there tomorrow night. My car’s so banged up I doubt it will get me outside of Paxton.”
“You want to visit him in the middle of the night?” She squinted at him. “Don’t you think it…?”
“No visits,” James interrupted, raising his tone. “I’m not leaving my Sean with that bitch anymore. He’s coming with me, whether she likes it or not.”
“What?” Ava’s surprise sent her voice three octaves up and her brows popped up as well. “You’re thinking about taking him?”
“That’s right,” he affirmed with a nod. “Can I count on you?”
“Yes, of course,” she agreed, a small smile burst upon her lips. James’s decision might have been unexpected, but Ava welcomed it. Why? Because: after six years of separation, he would finally get to spend some time with his son. He would receive the only suitable remedy for his pain, even though stealing Sean from Wendy would not go down well with her. Still, their relationship was in ruins. The war between them was already raging, threatening to consume him. An act like that could not harm what had been destroyed already.
“You look exhausted,” James remarked, gazing deep into her eyes while he knitted his fingers through her hair. “Why don’t you go get some rest?”
“I can do other things in my bed, other than sleeping,” Ava said in a husky voice, blinking heavily.
“Not tonight,” he let out a snort of amusement. “I’d love it, but we’re both pretty tired. How many miles did you drive today?”
“A hundred and forty,” she replied with a short chuckle. “You’re probably right. Give me a kiss.”
James obliged her, slipping his hand down her head and pressing his mouth onto hers for a moment.
“Goodnight,” he breathed onto her lips, trailing his fingers down her cheek.
“Sweet dreams,” she whispered back, offering him yet another smile. Ava was reluctant to leave him; but, should she have stayed with him, there would only be one outcome. Although she had been looking forward to their first time together, more than likely, it would be quick, and neither of them would enjoy it very much. Her fatigue and her drowsiness, and James’s emotional condition made the negative outcome definite guarantee. He wasn’t in the car with her, but, he was drained even more than the night before. Once more, Ava left him in her living room, in the hope that this would be the last night that she had to go to bed alone.
Chapter Thirteen
Anticipation rushed through James’s system when the new day dawned, and for very good reason: the endless waiting until he could reunite with his son would be over in just a few hours. Soon, he would have Sean in his arms, achieving a dream that had been eluding him for years: living with him. Of course, to do so, he would need his own house. He was grateful to her for supporting him in this dark hour, but he couldn’t burden her with this. More than that, James wanted them to be alone, at least for the first few days. They could bond with one another much more easily, without Ava distracting him. So, minutes after her departure, he drove out of Paxton, and headed for Highmount.
Still, when he reached his destination, whatever hope he was harboring of staying with Sean in his house was shattered. Large chunks of wood were missing from his front door. Bullets had sheared off the handle. He found it just under the doorframe. The bronze on it had blackened. The living room window had been broken as well. Hundreds of shards of glass, along with splinters of wood littered the floor. Frames had been knocked off the wall, and the pictures had scattered in the kitchen and the living room alike. The counter had bullet holes all over it. His furniture didn’t differ much. An armchair was lying on the floor, and even his appliances hadn’t escaped the carnage. The small fire that had spread in the kitchen had destroyed his fridge, the cabinets, and the sink. The devastation had been limited to those two rooms, but James could not find any comfort in that fact. Staying there was not an option. He needed time, a lot of money to restore it, and he had neither.
With a heavy heart, he returned to Paxton. At lunch, the thought of revealing this sad truth to Ava flashed through his mind. She had earned the right to know everything that had been going on. Her kindness had moved his heart and soul. Yet, he couldn’t find the courage to talk to her. This wasn’t about openness; it had taken him a while, but he had eventually shared his story with her. It was more about keeping her mind free of any other troubles than the ones he had put her through already. Ava had helped him enough. Despite the obvious easiness of her task, she had to remain focused on it, not burdened with his accommodation.
Willing to catch Wendy off her guard, James suggested to Ava a rather late departure time from her hometown. Upon her agreement, they left a few minutes after 10p.m. that night. Their seventy-mile drive meant that they would arrive in Cooperstown close to midnight. At the beginning, he believed that she would be in high spirits, and talkative, the way she had been over the past few days. Happily for him though, Ava was not her usual self. She was silent, staring at the road up ahead, looking like she was in the middle of one of the most important projects of her life. Needless to say, James would not break this silence. After all, he was busy thinking about the reunion with his boy. Dozens of scenarios rushed through his mind. For more than an hour and a half, he kept picturing the moment he laid his eyes on little Sean. In one of them, he was wide awake, playing in his room with toy cars. James saw himself sneaking through the back door. At the sight of his father, Sean hurtled towards him, with a massive smile on his sweet face. In another, he confronted Wendy, and tied her to a chair. This was not an ideal scenario by any means; but, deep down, James wanted to do this. It would be a small punishment for the long years she had kept his son away from him, for the agony that had been gnawing away at his soul.
When Ava turned into Walnut Street however, all of those thoughts ceased. Sean’s image popped into his mind, blocking out everything else. His heart began to pound against his chest; the moment of truth drew near. Ava’s Toyota was closing on an empty plot, when she turned to face him.
“Ok, I can pull over here, and you can go get him, or I can pull up outside her house,” she announced, her tone steady. “I’m not a fan of the latter. It’s late, most of the lights in the neighborhood are out, but a neighbor could see us. It’s up to you.”
“Please, drive us over there,” James politely requested, settling his gaze on Wendy’s residence. “Don’t worry; people go to bed early around here. No one will see us. My boy should be sleeping by now. We’ll have to leave fast; the quickest way to do that would be me carrying him out of there. I’d rather I ran fifty feet to a hundred yards.”
“Fine,” Ava said, applying more pressure on the gas pedal. The reflection of the living room light on the lawn filled his view once the road leveled out. Sensing his pulse rising, James took furtive glances around him. However, in a matter of seconds, the darkness in most of the surrounding homes confirmed his earlier statement. Indeed, there was light in only one of them, more than forty yards away from Wendy’s residence, and on the left side of the road.
