Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 87
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
“We joined, because we wanted to help,” Olivia replied, her voice stiffening, as she turned around to face her. “They were doing everything they could to keep us safe, but they were too few. They wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”
“Right,” Ava nodded, as a sarcastic smile burst upon her lips. “We knew we’d have to fight, eventually. Wars have casualties, girl. You’d better wrap your pretty little head around it.”
“Too many,” Olivia sighed, averting her gaze from her friend. “There’s too much reckless hate. I mean, first, it was Redfield; then, his brother, and for what: land; humans?”
“It’s because they’re our natural enemies, Liv,” Ava spoke in a calm tone, leaning closer to her. “We’re everything they will never be, and vice versa. Don’t try to find any reasoning in what they did. You won’t. That’s who they are. They like to destroy. We fought them. We killed them. End of story. Okay, some of us died in the process, but, like I said, there’s no war without casualties.”
“I was about to scream at Raul,” Olivia confessed, as her gaze shot up to meet her friend’s. “He might be a great Alpha, but he didn’t mention them tonight. He didn’t honor them.”
“The Bradford’s honored them at the funeral,” Ava retorted. “Dean’s speech had me in tears at the point he recited those lyrics. I looked up the song, when I got home. It broke my heart. Anyway, we are all honoring them by being alive: by living, not just surviving. Personally, their loss made me want to pursue things I don’t have.”
“Like what?” Olivia asked, curiosity written all over her face.
“Love,” Ava’s response came fast, faster than she anticipated. “So far, I thought ‘Okay, it hasn’t happened yet, but it will. Just give it some time.’ Now that I’ve been through all this, I just can’t wait. Getting closer to the Bradford’s was great help, too. Look at them. Tell me, aren’t you just a little bit jealous of what they have?”
Olivia shifted her gaze from her friend, to look into the diner. The Bradford siblings were lost in a group hug. Ray and Julia had turned their backs to the bystanders, with their arms wrapped around one another and their brothers. Their mates, along with Helena, were at a table behind them, in high spirits, chuckling, and making clinking sounds with their glasses. It was a beautiful image, one that made her heart flutter in her chest. That lot was perhaps the tightest family she had ever laid eyes on. They had endured every hardship together. Their bond had grown stronger in time. They seemed unbreakable, even by the toughest of trials: like Ray’s supposed death.
“They look very tight,” Olivia admitted with a nod. “They’ve made mistakes, though. They’ve screwed up; they’ve been careless. I’d like to have a mate, sure, but not at the expense of my town.”
“But NOT at the expense of your town?” Ava squinted up at her, a hint of annoyance in her sweet tone. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, not Raul and Ray, that’s for sure,” Olivia pointed out, putting some force in her voice. “Raul’s beef with Warrick was an internal matter. It was Alpha versus wannabe Alpha. Martin told me how much the pack needed a change in leadership. Raul did it, he changed the rules. It wasn’t Ray’s fault that Dominic’s pack arrived here, at the same time when he and Julia started dating. Dean…” She huffed in disapproval. “Dean very nearly killed us all, when he got involved with Kate. Thank God for Helena. If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be here today. And Melissa?” she snorted in derision. “Don’t get me started on her.”
“Dean got in a relationship with the witch that saved our skin the other day,” The firmness in Ava’s tone came back with a vengeance, as she narrowed her eyes at her. “Neither of them had a clue about her legacy. Yeah, Melissa took a huge risk by dating Joe, but she didn’t endanger Paxton. Demons only focus on the ones they’ve made deals with, not their towns.”
“Either way, I’d try to do a better job at keeping my personal life personal,” Olivia uttered, unable to hide the tension that had been building up inside her. “I wouldn’t jeopardize my own town.”
“Oh, crap,” Ava sighed in frustration, clenching her jaw. “Just think about it. I have to get back to the party.”
At that, she dropped her gaze from her, and then turned around. Sensing that their conversation could soon turn into an argument, Olivia kept her mouth shut. She wouldn’t try to change her friend’s mind. Just like her, she was entitled to her opinion. All the same, she would not go back inside. She was happy for her pack, yes, but their little chat had not altered her point of view. The death of her comrades had shaken her too much to consider celebrating that victory. Without much thought, Olivia Hunt strolled out of the parking lot, with the memory of the recent funeral still swirling in her mind.
Chapter Two
A feeling of peace washed over Olivia at the sight of the two, towering pine trees on either side of her cabin. Located hundreds of yards away from “Joe’s” diner, almost in the middle of town, it would once again house her thoughts; thoughts that not even her best friend could comprehend. Despite Ava’s attitude however, Olivia could not hold a grudge against her. They might have been getting through to one another, but this situation was not new to them. In the long years of their friendship, their arguments were frequent. Sooner rather than later, one of them would see things from a different perspective, and have a change of heart. No, Olivia’s relationship with Ava didn’t worry her. What did trouble her, was her own fate, and that of her pack. What was in store for them in the future? Who would they fight against next in order to preserve what they had earned in blood? Whatever the answers to those questions might be, Olivia would not consider her personal life as part of the equation. Having recently broken up with Jimmy Greer, one of the pack’s scouts, she was in no mood for a relationship. More than that, she had more than just her grocery store to worry about now. The pack had given her a purpose. She belonged somewhere now. Her duties were too important for her to have a personal life. Relationships could wait, at least for the time being.
Fishing into her purse for her keys, Olivia crossed her front yard. But, as she felt the cold metal on her fingertips, she caught a glimpse of red smoke before her, out of the corner of her eyes. She had born witness in the past to that thick, scarlet column, rising up from the cement. The scent of cedar that filled her nostrils left her no doubt. Helena, the legendary witch of Paxton, was there with her.
“Oh, my God,” she said, swallowing hard, as her brows popped up. “My lady…” Olivia spoke, bowing before her. “I’m not worthy of the honor.”
Unfortunately for Olivia, her words of humility did not go down well with Helena. She had barely completed her sentence, when she felt a sizeable amount of pressure on her jaw. Her head rocked left, as Helena swung her staff to smack her across the face.
“My lady, worthy of the honor…” grumbled Helena, setting her stick back down on the ground. “What is this nonsense? I’m not some smug royalty, little girl. My name is Helena. That’s how I wish you to address me: no ‘my lady’s, and certainly no bowing. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes,” Olivia said, nodding at the same time. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. What can I do for you?”
“The question is what I can do for you,” Helena corrected her, softening her tone. “I noticed your absence. Your fellow wolves may be crude, but they don’t appreciate it when someone leaves a celebration without even saying ‘goodnight.’ It’s disrespectful. What seems to be the problem?”
“My apologies, Helena,” said Olivia, her voice weakening, as she dragged her gaze away from her. “I wish I could have stayed longer; but, the truth is, I’m not in a festive mood. I feel sorry for the ones who couldn’t be there with us tonight.”
“Your sense of duty is admirable,” Helena remarked, as a small smile spread across her face. “I liked your initiative on the night we lured those vampires out into the woods. But, our dead are victorious, Olivia, no matter what we do. They are still among us. They sacrificed themselves, so that we could be free. I’m sure that, given the circumstances, you would have done the same for them.”
“Yes, I would have,” Olivia emphasized, intensifying her stare. “By all means, I would have done so. It’s just that I wanted our Alpha to say something about them tonight. Anything would have done, really. A toast, a few words about their service, maybe?”
“Raul is intending to build a shrine of remembrance for them, later this summer,” Helena announced, assuming a businesslike tone. “Don’t take his behavior the wrong way. He’s happy for his family. He’s also a father now; he’s bound to be more emotional about their survival.”
“I’m sorry,” Olivia whispered, as the revelation sent shockwaves down her spine. “I had no idea about the shrine.”
“Well, I didn’t either, not until this morning anyway,” Helena shrugged her shoulders and made her voice sound sweeter. “Your Alpha cares about you, Olivia: all of you. If he didn’t, believe me, your lives would be much worse than they are now. You wouldn’t have any freedom to express yourselves; you’d be afraid to speak your mind. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s nothing like that, right?”
“No. No, it’s not,” Olivia shook her head sideways, slightly raising her tone. “He’s very open-minded. He encourages us to think for ourselves. We can always suggest anything we might find useful.”
“There you have it, then,” Helena smiled, taking a short step closer to her. “You are still quite new to pack life. Give it some time. It will all be much clearer in a while.”
“May I ask you a question?” There was hesitation in Olivia’s voice, as she gazed deep into the redness of the witch’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“Do you condone what the Bradford’s have done?” Olivia asked, swallowing hard, as a crackling stream of lightning flashed and sizzled. “Don’t you think they have taken too many chances?”
“Oh, my God…” Helena gave a short chuckle, shutting her eyes, as she lifted her hand up to cover her mouth. “That’s a very long story.”
“Please, answer me,” Olivia requested, lowering her tone, as the ground underneath them shook in the cracking thunder that literally rocked the entire town.
“Well…” Helena said on an exhale, putting her arm back down. “Melissa gambled the most by bringing a demon into Paxton. I was outraged when I found out. It crossed my mind to kick her out of here. I thought she was going to get us all killed. Raul risked his life, just to be with Monica. I don’t know what repercussions his death could have had on the pack at the time, should Warrick have won that battle. It would definitely have solidified his position, but it’s hard to tell what else he would have done. Dean…” Helena paused, and sucked in a deep breath. “Poor Dean; Kate announced to him her decision to move to Los Angeles, just minutes away from the battle against Marianne McIntyre. If I'd been him, I’d have left her to fend for herself; but, he didn’t. He faced evil, even though he didn’t have any personal gain. Ray’s relationship with Julia coincided with the invasion of Dominic’s pack. Dominic was after her, because her father had abandoned him and his comrades for love. Ray could have handed her over to him, but he chose to stand and fight. So, yeah, more or less, they all took chances, but they did it for love. I can’t blame them for that.”
The witch’s explanation was thorough indeed; yet, any words that came out of her mouth after narrating what Dean had done for Kate passed by Olivia unheard. She knew that the two of them had split for a few days, but she didn’t have a clue as to “when” exactly that had happened. His act of self-sacrifice stunned her, proving to her just how selfless the Alpha’s brother was. More importantly, though, this heroic deed was more evidence of the power of love. True love had led him to jeopardize his life so that a woman he would no longer be with could escape from her mother’s clutches.
“Dean fought against McIntyre…” Olivia faltered, “…after Kate broke up with him?”
“Yes, he did,” Helena gave a firm nod. “He only told me after the battle was over. He’s an incredible man, my second son. Don’t get any ideas, though. Kate will hurt you if you try anything smart.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Olivia claimed, waving her hand in front of her face. “Even if he was single, I wouldn’t go after him. Relationships are not my priority right now. There’s the grocery store, and the pack. I need to focus on them.”
“Listen closely,” the witch urged, her voice losing volume. “What do you hear?”
“Nothing,” Olivia was quick to reply. “It’s all quiet.”
“Precisely!” exclaimed Helena, as her eyes sparkled with excitement. “The pack doesn’t need you right now, Olivia. Enjoy this peace while it lasts. Rest assured, little girl; there will be more dangers in the future. Goodnight.”
Upon completing her sentence, a red column of smoke shot up from the ground between them. Helena disappeared in her usual fashion, leaving a confused Olivia behind her. The witch’s narrative had clarified the Bradford’s actions much more than Ava’s had. In truth, Olivia could understand them better now. They didn’t seem as reckless as she initially believed. However, what Helena had failed to do, was change her decision about dating. She had been through enough hardships lately, to burden her mind with the whims of a potential boyfriend. Olivia desired simplicity, not complexity. She meant to concentrate on her everyday routine, not anything unpredictable, such as a relationship.
Chapter Three
Still in awe of what she had just heard, Olivia strode into her cabin. The truth about Dean Bradford - the shifter she’d thought that had been almost as careless as his younger sister - was not who she’d thought he was. It went much deeper than just someone who took on a mighty witch in order to date his beloved Kate. A brave, noble soul - like his - fit her standards. He sounded very much like the man she would gladly take as a mate someday. A mate… for some reason, the concept of pledging herself to a male seemed very distant, as if she was thinking about doing something out of the ordinary. Perhaps the fact that her parents were hardly ever on good terms with one another played a role in that feeling. Walter and Sharon Hunt’s arguments were frequent, and - more often or not - they fought over trivial matters. Despite that, the two of them loved each other. Two years ago, they decided to move out of Paxton, pursuing any hope they had of saving their relationship. Olivia didn’t know if her parents were to blame for her attitude. All she did know was it would be a while before she gave anybody a chance at dating her.
In any case, going out with men was in the future. She had to deal with the present, and the immediate consisted of, sadly, a long night ahead of her. It wasn’t the first, and it wasn’t going to be the last. The deaths of her comrades had taken a toll on her. She was prepared for war, but she had seen too much brutality over the last few weeks. Whenever she closed her eyes, the images of the bloody battles she had fought in flashed before her, reminding her of what she had done, and also, the horror that her pack had experienced. They might have been victorious, but they were not unscarred. It wasn’t the physical scars that troubled her. After all, shifters could heal much faster than almost every other creature on the planet. It was the psychological scars that gripped her heart like a vice. The recollections stayed with her, haunting her heart and mind, as she recalled each and every horrific scene. Olivia had no illusions. Her healing process was going to be long. Hopefully, in a few weeks, those images would start to fade from memory.
Pulling her top up and over her head, she readied herself for yet another sleepless night. She turned to face her bedroom window, as she put her hands on the button of her pants. Looking at her impressive, 5’10” figure, she unbuttoned them, as gentle rain tapped the glass. But, just when she was about to take her eyes off her reflection, the view from outside compelled her to keep her gaze fixed on it. The thick raindrops might have been blurring her vision; yet, they were not enough to prevent her from noticing a pair of yellow eyes, beyond her fence, and into the woods. They were small, much too small to belong to a wolf. Furthermore, the oval shape told her that she wasn’t dealing with anyone of her kind. Another sizzling lightning bolt revealed the identity of the creature that was staring right into her eyes. Part of its head was over a low-hanging tree branch, almost across from her and slightly to the right. It was covered in brown fur, and it featured small, rounded ears: a grizzly bear.
A wave of unease brushed across her senses. Up until that point, Olivia had only seen the massive predator from a distance. She had never crossed paths with one of them. Either way, she had no time to waste. No outsiders were allowed in her town, particularly ones that could pose a threat to their well-being. She quickly got rid of her pants, and kicked her shoes away, maintaining eye contact with the beast. Then, she reached forward, and grabbed the pull rail. A cool breeze rushed into her bedroom, as she slid it to the right. Olivia’s ribs crackled and rippled, her hips reshaped, and her human ears grew in size. Light-brown fur sprang from the top of her head, as her legs shortened and thinned. Her face lengthened into a lean snout as a ferocious growl began in her chest. Leaning back on her haunches, her beast lunged out the window, as her growl rose above the sound of the rain. Strangely enough, just then, the bear tore his gaze away from her, and started off into the forest. Still, Olivia could not guess what had caused him to flee like that. She had to chase him away from her property and out of her town.
Her gaze followed him, as she trotted off across her backyard. The rain and the darkness didn’t help. Yet, an animal of that size was hard to miss, even under such circumstances. He was running parallel to the trees when she jumped over her fence. Raindrops soaked her fur, as she felt the muddy soil give way beneath her paws. His scent flowed through her nostrils, as she burst towards him: walnut, enriched with the scent of pine and balsam fir. By then, her wolf could hear his heart, racing in his chest: another riddle; another phenomenon that puzzled her. Why? Because: he had barely run fifty yards. Grizzlies had exceptional stamina, similar to wolves. They could keep up chases for more than thirty minutes on end, and yet, this one appeared to be tired. She couldn’t attribute this to fear. Olivia would only do that, if she had at least one of her comrades by her side. The bear was much larger than her wolf.
