Chapter Thirteen
In the six days that followed, Raul, Monica and Helena had the time of their lives. They would meet as early in the morning as baby Helena allowed them to, and spend the day together. Ecstatic, the Alpha didn’t miss any chance to visit most of the magnificent, white-sand beaches with his family. He immersed himself in the vacation of his dreams. What could be better than enjoying the sunshine with your significant other, and the fruit of your love? Of course, his baby daughter sometimes cried or whined a little, here and there, but that was not enough to ruin anybody’s mood. For Raul, he had the most relaxing and fun filled days of his life. In fact, he liked Jamaica so much, he even discussed with Monica the idea of traveling to Jamaica again, sometime in the future.
However, all good things must end at some point, and their vacation didn’t break that rule. Disappointment unfurled in Raul’s chest on the day of their departure. It could take at least a year before he could afford another trip to the tropics. Furthermore, Helena was not coming back to Paxton before May. Nevertheless, the negative emotion vaporized, as he and his family boarded the plane home. Raul had wholly experienced an amazing time in Jamaica, and, more importantly, he had made sure that the witch, who had turned his and his siblings’ lives around, would eventually return. His spirits lifted even more as he pictured the moment he would see his brothers again. They would exchange their opinions on the matter, speak about what condensed news items he needed to know, and celebrate the fact that Helena would soon reunite with them.
As anyone would expect, Raul and Monica were all smiles as they rode in his truck, following the downhill road that led to his birthplace, on that crisp, late-February dawn. Yes, they had loved their vacation, but Raul had missed his siblings, just as Monica had missed her friends. As he closed in on the Bradford property however, he spotted something rather bizarre. It was 7:10 a.m., and yet, the lights above every cabin door were lit. Their workshop didn’t open until 8 a.m.; neither Dean nor Ray woke up for work before 7:30 a.m. in winter. The mystery found an answer as he turned right and into their driveway. But, nothing could have prepared him for the scene of utter devastation he found himself witnessing. Outside Ray’s cabin, Kate was crying in Dean’s arms, lightly punching his shoulder, whereas Melissa stood with her head on Joe’s shoulder. Julia sat, with her back leaning against the wall, and sobbed as she held her mate’s body in her arms. Tension tightened the back of Raul’s neck. His brother did not show any signs of life. The Alpha, unaware of his actions, stomped on the brakes, threw the truck into part and literally jumped out of his truck, setting his gaze on Julia. In an instant, he felt his heart racing so fast he thought it was going to rip out of his chest. Despite that feeling, his blood froze in his veins, as he hurled his body towards them. He smelled blood, and, in a few seconds, he even saw it. Ray’s white shirt was torn to shreds. The remaining fabric on his chest was covered with his blood.
“What happened?” he asked Julia, as he shortened his strides. Unfortunately however, his question did not find an answer. Instead, his brother’s mate slowly raised her eyes up to meet his. Puffy, reddened eyes, along with trembling lips, sent shockwaves down his spine. Two tears streamed down her face, as she parted her lips. But, Julia was obviously in no condition to speak. She didn’t have the heart to address him, or anybody else in this world. Ray, her own “light” as she called him, was lying dead in her arms. A huff of disbelief escaped Raul, as he thrust his arms up, cupped his forehead, and he shook his head sideways, unable to believe his eyes.
“No…” The voice that escaped him hardly resembled his own baritone. Its tonal color vanished altogether; helplessness replaced its deepness as he stared down at his brother’s peaceful face. Blood was smeared all over his right cheek, and had also stained his messy hair. Raul felt like the sharpest blade of this world had been thrust into his chest. Fate was twisting the sword in the wound, cutting him deeper, slicing and shredding his heart into a million pieces. The Alpha dropped to his knees, shutting his eyes, as he slid his hands down his face. Slowly, he reached his hand towards Ray’s cheek. The cold sensation of his skin on his fingertips gripped his heart like channel lock vice grips. In a split second, a torrent of tears rose up in his eyes. Raul made no effort to hold them back. He tipped his head down, pressing his lips together, as he trailed his index down, towards the seam of Ray’s lips. “My brother…” He helplessly whispered, as a tear raced down his cheek.
“Last night…” Dean’s broken voice rose above the sniffles and the sobs that surrounded their entire family. “He and Julia were having dinner at ‘Joe’s.’ At some point, everybody saw this…” he paused, “… really bright light in the woods. It had a strange, silvery glimmer. It was huge; a lot taller than the tallest tree. Right after that, the customers heard a deafening roar. They said it sounded a lot like a bear, but louder: a lot louder. Ray and Martin were the only two pack members in the area. He…” Dean snorted back a sob, as he ran his hand through his hair. “He asked Julia to stay put, and went out to investigate it. About five minutes later, the light disappeared. But, Ray didn’t come back. Twenty minutes after he’d left, Julia called me. We found him…” he faltered, squeezing his eyes shut, as Julia’s agonizing cry echoed in the wilderness, “…dead in a pool of his own blood.”
“Wake up, pretty boy,” Julia sniffled, staring down at Ray’s lifeless face, her knuckles white from gripping his body in her arms. “Please, don’t leave me here. I’m nothing without you.”
The Alpha removed his hand from his brother’s face, dragging his gaze down Ray’s arm. He reached toward his wrist, sorrow spreading within him like wildfire, as Monica hugged him from behind. Raul picked up Ray’s hand, and brought it up to his face, as his mate rested her head on his back. Holding it tightly in his hand, he pressed his lips onto his brother’s cold skin, as more and more tears streamed down his cheeks. There were a million things that he meant to say to him. Yet, fate’s hardest blow to his family had stripped him of the ability to speak. He felt as if he was living in a nightmare, where he could only visualize and hear everyone else’s pain. He could not utter a word. Raul squeezed Ray’s fingers, as he dropped his gaze down to the ground.
A thin raindrop landed on the back of his neck, just below his hairline. He peered skyward, feeling the cold driving into his bones. As if the gentle rain could add any comfort, the Alpha closed his eyes, welcoming a few more drops on his forehead. Second by second, the water filled every spot on his face, soaking his hair, as weeping and sobbing sounds scorched his insides. The most precious thing he had in this world, the value that had kept him going after the loss of his parents, his family, would never, ever be the same again.