Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 112
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
“They’re whole,” The Alpha pointed out, pointing down at the carcass. “The bite marks on their necks might disagree with you.”
“Forget about who did this, boys,” Helena said, her voice picking up volume, and her body speeding past Ray. His gaze followed the witch, while she hurtled towards an elm tree to the left. There was a sizeable, red box, just beside the trunk. Reaching down, she picked it up, and then turned to him. “It’s much too light,” She remarked, her face falling in surprise.
“Bring it over, will you?” Ray requested, keeping his gaze settled on it. Still struggling to fathom why their natural enemies had seemingly resorted to using assault rifles, he let out a huff of exasperation. Yes, vampires were unpredictable by nature, but this was beyond even them. However, the closer the witch approached, the scent that emanated from the box itself sent more waves of confusion washing over him. Why? Because, it was a human scent: it smelled a lot like raspberry; but Ray was too overwhelmed by the lingering smell of death to tell exactly what it was.
“How the hell is this even possible?” He murmured as the witch set the box down on the ground. “What did the vampires do, steal this from a human?”
“You could never guess what’s in here,” Helena assumed an emphatic tone as she pried into the box.
“What is it?” Raul inquired in a bass-deep voice. Still, the witch kept her silence. Incredibly, she pulled a cell phone out of the box, and held it up at chest height for everyone to see. In his eagerness, Ray snatched it away from her grasp. He swiped his finger across the screen, wondering what kind of twisted creature had put a cell phone in a box hundreds of times its size. A big, white “play” button popped up on the screen, in a black background.
“Hello, Bradfords,” a hoarse and distorted voice filled his ears, raising every hair in his body when he pressed the button. “You may not know who I am, but I sure know who and what you all are. It took me a while to figure it out, but, once I put all the pieces together, it was as clear as daylight.
Tom Riker got his wrist bitten by what he claimed was a huge wolf. Surprise of surprises, he died a few months ago. Cause of death: an animal attack. Jonathan Daniels was a brilliant, ambitious geneticist. He passed away on the same day Riker did. Cause of death: also an animal attack. Ryan Alstead, the rich record company CEO was rumored to have offered a very good contract to Dean’s girlfriend, Kate Brooks. But, guess what. He was also found dead in North Haven, with his throat ripped out. Now, unless a wild animal escaped from a nearby zoo, the odds of this happening are equal to the same man getting struck by lightning, twice on the same day. Samuel Davis, a well-respected realtor, and his two bodyguards suffered the same fate a few weeks ago.
I’ll see to it personally, Bradfords, that you pay for your crimes. You deserve the worst punishment for what you’ve done, you beasts. In a couple of weeks, I’m going to see to it that your precious little town is wiped off the map. But, don’t fret. I will kill you just after I raze it to the ground.
You can’t hold back the oncoming storm. Tonight was just a display of power. I didn’t mean to kill anybody just yet, but please, keep placing guards up on that ridge. You will make it a lot easier for me to take you and your buddies out, one by one. I’ll be seeing you…”
Ray squeezed the device in his fist, feeling his blood boiling in his veins and pound in his temples. Obviously, this was much deeper than just a rival pack on their doorstep. It was a direct threat of annihilation. Letting out a deep grunt, he felt the plastic around the phone give way under pressure.
“No!” Dean shouted, thrusting his arm to the left to grab him by the wrist. “If you break it, we’re never going to find out who’s behind this!”
“Your brother is right, Ray,” Helena uttered, her voice firm, her face hardened. “Be careful with it; it’s our only lead. They put the phone in that box to ensure protection against the elements. As far as their identity was concerned, it was quite clear. We’re looking at a vampire threat here. Don’t let the human scent and the rifle confuse you. You heard that bastard. He’s just toying with us.”
“Take that phone over to James Norris tomorrow morning,” Dean suggested, loosening his grip on his brother’s wrist. “He’s a hacker; he’ll know what to do.”
A very slow nod served as his answer. Ray might not want to believe it, but their natural enemies were back to attempt what two clans had already failed to do: destroy their hometown. This time though, they seemed willing to utilize human weapons, and that fact alone made them even more dangerous. Although Helena’s theory did sound plausible however, he could not be certain of its accuracy. Ray had to rely on a human, in the hope that his expertise would shed some light on this mystery.
Chapter Three
The next day that dawned initiated another period of uncertainty for Paxton. Alas, the attack against Rob the previous night had signaled the end of the peace. For Ray, this turn of events was not welcome; but, on some level, he had expected it. Of course, he had no idea who had declared war upon them, but their victories over their adversaries in the past were bound to upset someone. Happily for him though, the audio file that they recovered in the forest had a positive effect on him. Within minutes, his mind was concerned with that message. He wasn’t intimidated by it; he and his pack had been triumphant on the battlefield many times in the past. They were oozing with confidence. Ray actually tried to make sense of it, and that meant putting the ugly memories of his captivity aside. Whatever he had been through, it belonged in the past. He had survived it. Now, he had to concentrate on eliminating this new threat.
On his way to Wolf Mountain, he recalled James and Ava’s story. Even though he had caused his pack mate a lot of trouble, he did like the human lumberjack. He wasn’t false, treacherous or anything evil his grandfather used to believe. On the contrary, James Norris was a dedicated father and an honest man, who had just been unlucky to meet his first wife. However, he owed them his happiness with Ava. Had it not been for the Bradfords, his relationship with her would have been over.
“Time to return the favor, city boy,” Ray thought to himself. He brought his truck to a halt on the uphill road outside the forest. Stepping out of his vehicle, he cringed at the annoying buzzing of chainsaws. With a quick sweep of the area up ahead, he spotted James’s impressive figure. He had bent down over a thick trunk, and was using a red chainsaw to chop off its branches, dozens of yards into the woods. Joe Stanton, Melissa’s mate was to his right, easing a crate of wood into the bed of a white, pickup truck. Ray trotted off towards the two men, feeling tiny drops of drizzle on his skin. A few, long strides took him straight into the realm of woodland, the sacred ground of his forefathers which he once again had to protect with his very life. His boots kicked up small chunks of mud as he closed the distance between them. To his relief, James pressed the “off” button on his noisy machine, and turned to face him, seconds before he reached them.
“Morning,” Ray said, tipping his head down in a polite gesture. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you.”
“Good morning,” James smiled, placing the chainsaw onto the trunk. “Let me save you some time. I heard about last night. Raul told Ava.”
“Straight to the point,” Ray gave an appreciative nod. “I like that. Can we count on you?”
“Of course you can, man, you didn’t have to ask me that. Just one thing, though...” James raised his index finger up to his chest, “... the guy who shot your guard last night? There’s no way in hell he was a vampire.”
“We found eight, dead deer in the forest, James,” Ray declared, his voice rising up an octave. “They all had bite marks on the neck, but none of them was eaten.”
“Let’s stick to the shooter, okay?” James suggested, clenching his jaw. “I have no reason to doubt what you said about vampires. You’ve seen them, you know their M. O.; but I think the shooter is human. How far out was he, when he fired that rifle?”
“About a mile, give or take,” Ray responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Why?”
“Then, he’s definitely human,” James said with an emphatic nod. “Operating high-caliber rifles may look easy, but it’s not. You need to be very precise, calculate every single detail, even the wind direction. Trust me, Ray. Your perpetrator has had military training, he’s really experienced, smart, and very confident about himself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shot your guy from that far.”
“Ok, you lost me,” Ray confessed, narrowing his eyes at him, a hint of discomfort in his tone. “I thought you were a hacker. How do you know all this stuff?”
“My cousin Marcus is a marine sniper,” James explained, maintaining the calmness in his voice. “He spent eighteen months training for it. I spoke to him on the phone about this, about an hour ago.”
“Shit!” Ray groaned, jerking his head down in a spasm of frustration, putting his hands on either hip. “Damn, this can’t be happening.”
“Humans and vampires have banded together in the past,” Joe interjected, stopping beside his colleague. “Remember Damian Redfield and Bethels?”
“Bethels was a wizard, Joe,” Ray grumbled, his nostrils flaring as his breathing quickened. “Damian and his goons were too scared to lay a hand on him.”
“Why don’t you give me that cell phone?” James requested, holding his hand out in front of him. “I can fix the audio, but I have to warn you. My laptop is not that fast. Without enough computer power, I’ll need seven or eight hours.”
“That’s alright,” Ray said on an exhale, handing the device over to him. “Call me when you’re ready.”
“By the way, you should know that we’re not going to hear just a voice,” James stated, slipping the phone into his pocket. “State-of-the-art computer technology allows us to pick up even the faintest sounds. I’ll separate them, but, unfortunately, I will need some time. I should be done by tomorrow night.”
The notion of pressuring him flashed through Ray’s mind. The pack was defenseless, vulnerable to attack at any minute. Still, a mere glance up and down James’s body made him think twice. Mud had smeared his boots and his jeans. Leaves were all over his shirt and in his hair, and drops of sweat had formed on his forehead. By the end of working hours, James would be utterly exhausted. Pushing him to his limits would not avail anybody.
“Thanks a lot,” Ray muttered, patting him on the shoulder. “Take care.”
Still sensing shockwaves racing down his spine, he turned around. The revelation about human involvement had shocked him to his very core, leaving him in a cloud of unease, fear, and self-doubt. What could a handful of shifters do against armed men who had vampires on their side? How could they possibly hope to defeat this mighty new foe? Ray couldn’t answer either of those questions. He could only pray that his pack would stick together, and would not challenge his brother, the way they had done when Helena had been blinded. Unity was a powerful weapon in their arsenal, one that they could not afford to squander.
Chapter Four
The drizzle had turned into a torrent, long before Ray crossed his town’s limits. The skies had opened over Paxton, drenching land, streets, trees, and homes alike. In his growing despair, he took this storm as an ominous sign of the future yet to come. Being an optimist by nature, he didn’t mean to think this way. Yet, he couldn’t help it. It was an automatic reaction to the unknown darkness that had begun surrounding Paxton. However, Ray was still his Alpha’s lieutenant. For a shifter, fear equaled weakness. This was an emotion he had to keep to himself. The pack might love his brother and his family as well, but there was always the chance of a revolt. An uprising could spell disaster, not only for the two dozen members of the pack, but for the entire town, too. Very soon, his birthplace could end up being ruled by another “Warrick,” the tyrant whose reign Raul had ended.
Ray ditched his truck in the driveway, eager to preoccupy himself with the one thing that could bring him some peace of mind: his work. Nevertheless, drawing nearer to his workshop, something puzzled him. It was almost ten o’clock in the morning. Especially by now, noises like banging hammers and impact drills should be audible from a distance, and yet, there was complete silence. Intrigued, he swung the creaky door open, only to discover that his brothers were not there. Still, the workshop was not empty. His mate, Julia, was standing in front of the counter in the middle of the room, with a clutch cable in her hand.
“I’d really love to study the whole transmission mechanism,” she confessed, a sweet smile forming on her face. “What happens if I try to shift without using the clutch?”
“Today’s not the day for a lesson in engineering, Jules,” Ray murmured, his voice monotonous, his slow footsteps bringing him closer to her.
“I know,” she rigidly replied, her usual playfulness and her smile suddenly vanishing into thin air. “That was a joke. I was trying to make you laugh, pretty boy,” she stated, assuming a much stiffer tone. “You didn’t get it. Since yesterday, I just can’t get this picture out of my mind. Care to know what that is?”
“Go ahead,” he encouraged with a sigh, dragging his gaze away from her.
“Our little argument at Kate’s ceremony,” Julia explained, lowering her voice as she took a short step towards him. “The look in your eyes, when you came after me in the woods; you seemed genuinely scared back then, Ray. You’ve had the same look since you came back last night. The same fear. What’s going on? If this about that cell phone you guys found, just say so, because Kate told me about it.”
“Vampires have teamed up with humans again, Mess,” Ray announced, his tone weakening. He ran his hand through his hair. “And not just any humans; according to James Norris, they have military training.”
“So what?” she shrugged, her brows popping up. “You’re afraid of a couple of morons with rifles? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Those morons can take us out from a mile away!” he barked out, leaning over towards her, his eyes blazing with unmasked anger. “Just how in the hell are teeth and muscle going to beat this kind of firepower?”
“Teeth and muscle,” Julia squeaked, her face contorting with frustration, her stare intensifying. “No, Ray,” She shook her head sideways, firmly. “That’s where you’re wrong. All these battles, all these…” she faltered, then continued; “... insane wars, we won them with heart, not with teeth and muscle. Every time, we were fighting for our right to live; to exist in this beautiful little world we have all created together. Even when your brother killed your old Alpha, he did it because his heart was aching to be with Monica, not because he desired power. He wanted to live freely. That’s what we all have ever wanted, and that’s what we’ve been getting so far. I don’t care if they can shoot at us from ten miles away. I don’t give a tiny rat’s ass if they come in guns blazing. In the end, I know we’ll be the ones standing.”
His mate’s fiery speech stunned him into stillness. Ray was used to her rants, but this was more than just a monologue full of complaint or rage. Her very heart was talking to him, seeing right into his soul, its immense power scorching away any shreds of fear and doubt in its wake; the very same heart that had stormed into his world, on the night of his brother’s mating ceremony, and had lit a candle of hope within him. Once again, Julia’s passion, the quality that had enchanted him ever since their first date, had blown the air of self-confidence back into him.
“How did you get so tough?” Ray wondered with a whisper, leaning in towards her, and snaking his arms around her shoulders.
“I’m in love with a fighter,” she uttered, her voice sweetening, gazing up and deeply into his eyes. “We’ve survived everything life has thrown at us,” she whispered, curling her arms around his waist. Gently, he pulled her closer, exhaling hard, while he squeezed his eyes shut. With the feel of her warm body against his skin, he planted a tender kiss on the top of her head. Her red curls tickled him; yet, he would not take his mouth off of her. This was merely his way of expressing his gratitude to the woman who had taken a huge weight off of his shoulders.
“Light?” Julia let out yet another whisper.
“Yeah?”
“You know how much I love your hugs, but …” she paused, gliding her arms up his back. “Can you please not squeeze me this hard?”
“Sorry about that,” Ray muttered, loosening his grip and easing back a little. “Thanks for the wakeup call, Mess. I needed that,”
“Anytime, pretty boy,” Julia winked at him, a smile of mischief bursting out upon her lips.
“You really have to decide on my nickname,” He teased, returning the smile. “Light? Pretty boy? Which one do you like best?”
“Don’t make me choose,” she gave a snort of amusement while lightly shaking her head. “I like them both the same.”
“Anyway, have you seen Raul and Dean?” Ray asked, assuming a more serious tone. “We were supposed to be servicing that baby down there,” he went on, casting a quick glance down at the black Harley Davidson in the upper left corner.
“Yeah, they left about fifteen minutes before you came back,” Julia informed him, putting some force in her voice. “Raul said they were going to the town hall. They’re starting to recruit again.”
“About time they did,” he commented, removing his hands from her. “I guess I’d better head over there, too.”
“Go,” she chirped, her freckles wrinkling as she offered him one more smile. “Just make sure you come back for lunch, okay? I don’t want to eat alone.”
“I will,” he assured her with a nod. “Don’t start without me.”
Chapter Five
Much to Ray’s happiness, by the time he strolled out of the workshop, the rain had ceased altogether. The town hall was less than three hundred yards away. He didn’t want to drive there, and, more importantly, he enjoyed short walks just after the rain. There was a unique freshness in the air, a wonderful cleanliness that rejuvenated him. Moreover, the mix of lingering scents acted like a molt of old, rare whiskey, sending his senses into a sweet, intoxicating journey: wet, cabin wood; the stronger fragrance of rose pedals and azaleas; a host of other scents, along with the smell of moist soil, were guaranteed to make each and every second a fantastic experience.
