Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 40
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
“Goodnight, Ms. Bradford,” he whispered, his mouth less than an inch away from hers, as her hands crept around his neck.
“Why did you do that?” She wondered, her voice wobbly, as she sensed his hot breath on her skin.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Joe claimed, a whisper of sadness darkening his brown eyes, as he eased out of her hold. “Goodnight.”
“Why?” Curiosity and frustration sent Melissa’s voice three octaves up, as she leaned towards him. “Tell me.”
He sucked in a deep breath, blinking slowly, upon hearing her request. Joe dropped his gaze down to the ground, pursing his lips, as he put his hands on his waist. Melissa was waiting for his answer with bated breath, but all that he could provide was silence. Just like that, he had shut down on her. She would not speculate. Neither would she pressure him. There was no point in insisting. It was obvious to her that she could not become part of his life. Keeping her mouth shut, she cursed her luck, as she stormed out of the yard. Alas, a relationship with a gentleman would have to remain a dream.
Chapter Six
Melissa might avoid speculating, yet, deep down, she knew that her friends would not do so as well. Kate and Julia would start guessing, as soon as she told them how her date went. Monica would be subtler, but her attitude would be overshadowed by squeaky remarks or ironic comments. Melissa needed some understanding. She could do without the teasing, and the – more than certain – argument that her friends’ behavior would lead to. A return to her cabin did not feel at all like a wise choice. On the other hand, some solitude was guaranteed to benefit her. Surrounded by the elements, Melissa would be able to gather her thoughts, and attempt to find some peace of mind, without having to worry about Kate or Julia’s reactions to her date.
Acheron River lay closer to her, miles away from Paxton, and any prying eyes, alike. The taste of Joe’s kiss was still in her mouth as she closed the driver’s door behind her. Once again, Melissa looked up, as she paced along the shore. Thick clouds were beginning to veil the hundreds of stars that graced the night sky. The pale moon had not been covered just yet, casting its ample light down on the river and the trees. Almost immediately, her gaze landed on the spot where she had found Joe earlier that day. However, Melissa decided to push the memory of that encounter out of her mind, recalling it was a negative thought, precisely like her date with him. It was a thing of the past, one that she had to let go, if she had any hope of finding the man of her dreams. Staring down at the sparkling water, she watched it go over bigger and smaller rocks, as it flowed down the stream. Within seconds, a pair of red eyes reflected on the surface. She was not alone. The identity of her company was well-known to her.
“Roman’s grandchildren keep on failing me.” Helena said, a hint of sadness in her tone, as she pulled her hood back from her head. “You are all quite careless, with the exception of Ray. I still haven’t caught him off his guard.”
“Hey, Helena,” Melissa spoke, tossing a swift glance down at her. “How have you been? It’s been a while.”
“I have been rather preoccupied lately,” Helena declared, moving her gaze up to meet Melissa’s, as she wrapped her fingers around her staff. “Kate has allowed me to play with her mother’s book. I’m not going to ask what you’ve been doing. I can see it in your eyes. You are troubled.” A silver glow sprang from the top of the stick, and shot all the way down, as she tapped it on the ground. Before Melissa knew it, the witch was standing right beside her. “The man you met with tonight cannot give you what you seek. You are better off without him.”
“How would you know about that?” Confusion and curiosity tightened Melissa’s mouth, as she narrowed her eyes to slits. “Have you been stalking me or something?”
“Not you. Him,” Helena replied in an emphatic tone, her face stiff, as a shadow of fear crept into her eyes. “Joe Stanton brings great evil with him, my young one. You may see him as a young, attractive man, but all I see is the blackness that dwells within him.”
“Blackness?” Melissa gave a derisive snort, as she raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same man?”
“I’m absolutely positive,” Helena stated, a touch of discomfort in her voice. “Like I said, I have been studying Marianne McIntyre’s book for a while now. It contains plenty of spells, and techniques to detect bearers of dark energy. Every now and then, I use them to find out if anything out of the ordinary has crossed the borders of our town or Shandaken. Last night, I was stunned to discover that one of those…” she paused; “despicable creatures lives amongst us. My agents notified me of your meeting. I was very relieved to find out that it ended rather quickly.”
“Ok, stop calling him names,” Melissa urged, raising both hands up to her chest. “As far as I can tell, Joe is just a widower, who can’t get over the loss of his wife. What’s with all this ‘blackness’ nonsense? The guy seems to be very sensitive. That’s what attracted me to him in the first place.”
“I’m not talking about his heart. I’m talking about his soul,” Helena explained, her voice deepening, as she leaned over her. “If uncompromised, people’s souls glow white. His is pitch-black.”
“Go on,” Melissa encouraged with a nod, as the skin on her face tingled with fear.
“My God…” Helena heaved a long, heavy sigh, squeezing her eyes shut, as she lifted her hand to rub her cheek. “I don’t know where to start. I did some research on him. Before Joe’s wife died in that accident, he was just a lawyer; an average nobody, struggling to make a living. His clientele was comprised of elderly people, and fired individuals, trying to get their jobs back. No surprises there. Lawyers don’t have it easy. Even in my time, few of them managed to reach prominence. Three weeks after her death, he was hired by ‘Cross and Associates’, a prestigious law firm in New York, which is very odd, to say the least. The man had no connections whatsoever. What could convince an accomplished lawyer like David Cross to employ Joe Stanton? Men like him do not like to take risks when it comes to their job. Tell me, what’s Joe’s current status?”
“He’s very successful,” Melissa replied, her voice shaking, as her fear sent her heart into a flurry of wild beats.
“Mediocre lawyers do not magically transform into excellent counselors, my dear Melissa.” Helena stated, as a stream of lightning flashed, lighting up the world around them. “Not unless they had some severe outside help. Joe must have been quite desperate. After his wife’s passing, his job was all he had left. There is one category of creatures that preys on human despair. It feeds off of it: Demons,” she added, as a deafening crack of lightning tore through the night, causing the ground to vibrate beneath their feet. “My guess is that Joe sold his soul to a demon, in exchange for professional success.”
“No…” a whisper of disbelief escaped Melissa, her eyes black with shock, as she shook her head sideways. “It can’t be.”
“It gets worse,” Helena continued in the same, firm tone, as the first, thick raindrops fell on her hair. “Demons do not wait for the human to die of natural causes, before they can harvest their soul. Most likely, this one has given Joe a few years to enjoy his success: ten, maybe fifteen at best.”
“Oh, my God…” Melissa whispered once again, feeling her heart ready to burst out of her chest, as she put her hands to her temples.
“Now you can understand why I was so relieved that your date with him was a disaster,” Helena stated in a much sweeter voice, as she reached her left hand up to Melissa’s cheek. “You don’t need a man like him in your life, my young one. Stay away from him.”
“I kissed him tonight,” Melissa’s voice picked up volume, as the scene of their kiss replayed in her mind. “I noticed something strange. Every human has a distinctive scent. I couldn’t smell his, until…”
“He kissed you,” Helena finished her sentence, running her hand through her hair. “That’s because he let himself loose for those few moments. He decided to live, just for a few seconds. You must understand that the demon has a firm grip on his soul. That’s why it is black, and that’s why he cannot give himself to anybody. An enslaved soul must first break free of its shackles, before it can be given.”
Helena’s conclusion shattered every last shred of hope Melissa had of having a relationship with him. She was confident that she could help him forget his wife. But, there was nothing she could do about the insanity that he had brought into his life by making a deal with a demon. Melissa desired a relationship, someone to rely on, not a man with an expiration date. Joe Stanton was not just unavailable. He was a victim of circumstances; even though she could feel for him, she could not take any chances with him.
Chapter Seven
Happily for Melissa, by the time she drove back home that night, it was too late for her friends to still be up. Much to her relief, every light, in their cabins, was off. She was too tired, and too emotionally drained, to even consider a discussion with Kate and Julia. Melissa undressed herself in a hurry, and then tumbled into bed, in the hope that a descent into Morpheus’ arms would come quickly.
However, this hope was woefully unanswered. The ugliness that haunted her mind proved to be a formidable adversary, a foe much beyond her. Helena’s revelations had stunned her, but her vast surprise was not her biggest concern. In truth, Melissa was terrified. She came perilously close to getting involved with a human who had agreed to cut his lifespan in half. Falling for him could have disastrous consequences on her. She would die a young woman. More than that, Melissa was utterly disgusted with him. No matter his emotional state, Joe should not have sold his soul to a demon, regardless of the rewards. He shouldn’t have allowed his grief to cloud his judgment like that. In her mind, he should have endured the pain of his wife’s loss; tried to find love again later on; and lived an honest life. Joe’s action just proved one of the worst qualities of the human race: greed. Succumbing to it signified weakness, and Melissa did not care to search for a weak man like him.
Sunday morning found her still lying in bed, wide awake. Part of her desired to continue lying there, believing that, sooner or later, sleep would redeem her. Still, as Kate and Julia’s voices tore the silence, a bigger part of her wanted to get this heavy burden off her chest. Therefore, Melissa got up, and put some clothes on, eager to see her friends again.
“There she is!” Julia exclaimed, pointing up at her, as she headed towards the table in the yard. “Where were you last night?”
“Going through something…” Kate paused, as a sly smile burst upon her lips. “Hard, I guess. I mean, look at her. Does she look like she had much sleep?”
“I didn’t get any sleep,” Melissa pointed out, casting a fierce glare down at Kate. “Not because I had sex. I’m not in the mood for your sleazy comments.”
“Girl, what’s wrong?” Kate asked, leaning forward, her smile falling from her lips, as Melissa seated herself across from her. “How did your big date go?”
“Not so well,” Melissa responded, her voice riddled with sadness, as Julia poured coffee into a red mug. “He’s still in love with his wife. He blew me off, but, just when I was about to leave, he kissed me.”
“Ok, you lost me there,” Julia confessed, handing the mug over to her. “You guys kissed. I don’t know about you, but that’s good in my book.”
“First of all, he didn’t deny it,” Melissa went on, unable to banish the anger that deepened her voice. “Second of all, I went to Acheron River. I…” She sucked in a deep breath. “I ran into Helena. Apparently, dear old Joe got greedy, after his wife died. Our witch told me that he had cut some kind of deal with a demon, just to succeed as a lawyer.”
“Oh, God…” Julia sighed, tipping her head down, closing her eyes, as she shook her head in disapproval, whereas Kate merely dragged her gaze away from her. “I knew it. I knew there was something wrong with this guy. I mean, how many 29-year olds get to be on the cover of ‘Forbes’?”
“Kate, did you know about this?” Suspicion crept into Melissa’s voice, as she raised the mug to her lips.
“Yeah,” Kate gave a sad nod, returning her attention to her. “Helena and I talk almost every day. She paid me a visit on Friday night. We saw that blackness together, but she wouldn’t say anything to you, until she gathered some intelligence about him. I helped her out with that. God bless the internet.”
“I cannot believe this guy.” Melissa spoke through gritted teeth, as her face hardened. “What kind of man gives up his own soul for power?”
“My parents gave me up for power, in case you don’t remember,” Kate remarked, leaning her elbows on the table. “I believe Jimi Hendrix, the best guitarist in the world, put it more eloquently, back in the day: ‘When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.’”
“Pardon me if I’m wrong, but…” Julia faltered, as her mouth twitched in an ironic smile. “Didn’t people use to say that Hendrix had sold his soul to the devil, just to get famous?”
“People will always make up crazy theories about stuff they can’t understand,” Kate grumbled, furrowing her brow, as she glared at her friend. “Back in the sixties, they couldn’t get how he could have pioneered the use of the electric guitar the way he did. Music is all about practice and experimentation. You can have all the musical talent in the world. Without practice, it’s just useless. Jimi played the guitar for hours on end. That’s how he got to play so much faster and better than everyone else.”
“Such a waste,” Melissa sighed, leaning her back against her chair. “The guy’s doomed, and he’s got no one to blame but himself.”
“Remedy…” Kate murmured, raising her eyebrow.
“Remedy?” Melissa squinted at her.
“Never mind,” Kate waved her hand in front of her face. “Too bad Monica’s on call tonight. You guys are coming to my gig, right?”
“Of course,” Julia chirped, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I haven’t seen you perform in weeks.”
“Thanks, but ‘no, thanks,’” Melissa said, lowering her gaze from Kate. “I don’t feel like going out.”
“I’m not going to leave you to sulk here,” Kate retorted with a little force in her voice, leaning towards Melissa. “You need to take your mind off things. Have some fun for a change.”
“The witch is right,” Julia claimed, nodding at the same time. “Come on, Mel. Don’t tell me you haven’t missed that sexy little voice.”
“I have,” Melissa admitted, as her lips curved into a hesitant smile. “It’s just…”
“I’m not hearing this,” Kate interrupted, her voice stiff. “You’re coming. End of story.”
Melissa chose silence over coming up with a rebuttal. She wasn’t interested in finding any more excuses. She had to put the entire incident with Joe behind her. Of course, spending the night in New York was not to wipe it out of her memory, but it was a good first step. Kate’s concert was a fantastic motive to leave Paxton; yet, it was not the only reason for her to visit the big city. The three of them would then go to her friend’s apartment, and that meant drinks, laughs and quality time together. Melissa’s brothers would be too far away to interrupt them. She would not pass on an opportunity like that, in spite of her mood.
“Help me forget, guys. Help me laugh. I’ve never needed it more than I do now.”
Chapter Eight
Kate and Julia granted Melissa’s wish, long before they even reached “Tommy’s Pit”, Kate’s workplace. Throughout the drive to New York City, they were in a festive mood: cracking jokes; planning the things they meant to do later that night; and always, carefully avoiding bringing up Joe. Under any other circumstances, Melissa would probably not have noticed it. Still, the fact that Kate and Julia neglected to mention Dean and Ray gave them away. Their mates were their favorite topics. Had either of them spoken about their personal life, Melissa would automatically think about her own, and her recent misfortune. Her friends simply confined their conversations to generalities, or older stories, prior to meeting her brothers, in order to protect her. Moved by their gesture, it crossed her mind to thank them for looking out for her. But Melissa would not do so; at least not yet. They had all night in front of them to discuss their bond. This conversation could wait until they went to her friend’s apartment.
“Tommy’s Pit” held no surprises for them that night. As usual, it was almost full of people, eagerly anticipating Kate’s performance. The single empty table was the one reserved for them, to the left and closest to the piano. Melissa and Julia sat at it, while their friend went to her dressing room.
“I keep wondering what would have happened if she’d chosen her career over Dean.” Melissa confessed as she gazed at the piano cover and a young waitress approached their table.
“There’s no way to tell,” Julia spoke what she thought, as the waitress halted in front of their table. “Hi; I’m thinking Tequila for me.”
