Chapter Ten

Julia: the craziest of the trio of humans that had danced into the Bradford brothers’ lives, was not really the person that Helena wished to address. Ray’s mate loved to be sarcastic, and her crude remarks were even worse than Kate’s. Yes, the witch considered her a friend; she had saved her life once by putting the wolf in her, but she would much rather talk to Monica or Kate. Still, Helena would not turn down her offer. She didn’t want to be alone that night. The company of two sounded better than no company at all.

“Actually, I picked up two different scents;” Julia confessed, tossing a white, dry towel over to Helena after her guest had stepped inside, “yours and someone else’s. Who was it? What were you doing out in the rain, anyway?”

“His name is Cliff,” Helena replied, unable to stop smiling, as she wiped the water off of her hair. “In response to your other question, use your imagination.”

“Huh!” Julia gasped, opening her eyes wide, as she thrust her hand up to cover her mouth. “Oh, my God; you were kissing?”

“Well; yes,” Helena retorted, as smugness crept into her smile. “It was our first kiss.”

“First kiss? Standing in the rain?” Julia asked, pulling her hand away from her face. “Seriously?”

“That’s an ideal way to start a relationship,” declared Monica, the sweetness in her voice resounding throughout the cabin as she came down the stairs. “I’m really happy for you.”

“Monica, thank God you’re here,” Helena sighed in relief, as she turned her gaze to her. “I’ve been dying to talk to someone about this. Where’s the baby? Where are your men?”

“I just tucked her in. The guys are out to get dinner,” Monica informed her as she left the staircase behind her. “So, how was it?”

“Wait a minute,” Julia interjected in a firm tone. “‘Monica, thank God you’re here? You’ve been dying to talk to someone about this?’ What’s the matter; am I not good enough for you to talk to?”

“Julia, I like you; I truly do.” Helena confessed, feeling red heat rising up her cheeks once again that night. “You’re really fun, and you make Ray so happy. It’s just that, sometimes, you’re a little too…” she paused, “ultrasonic for my taste.”

“No, I’m not,” Julia countered, a hint of annoyance in her tone, as she narrowed her eyes at her.

“Yes, you are, honey,” Monica affirmed, not taking her eyes off Helena. “Did I hear you right? His name is Cliff; the same Cliff who works for the FBI?” she queried the witch.

“Indeed,” Helena sighed, her smile vanishing, as she set the wet towel down on the counter. “I paid him a visit, up at the sheriff’s station in Shandaken. He asked me about the color of my eyes. I told him the truth. Then, he started mentioning some old books about shifters in Paxton. I said they were myths. When he insisted, I just stormed out. Anyway, I pried into his future. I saw him standing over there.” Helena pointed down, at a spot close to the front door. “He was yelling at Ray. Ray glared at him with his wolf eyes. The next day, there was a tactical team right outside. Obviously, Cliff figured everything out. Girls, you need to talk to your mates. Cliff is an FBI agent; it’s his job to ask questions. It is vital that both of them maintain their composure. I know it isn’t easy; I mean, he can very pushy, he even enraged me this morning, but if Raul and Ray crack, it will be our downfall.”

“What about Dean?” Monica squinted at her.

“I’m sure Kate has already told him to be careful.” Helena said, tearing her gaze from her to look at Julia. “Please, tell Ray to stay calm.”

“I will,” Julia nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, as she sauntered towards her. “You left the best part out, though. How was the kiss?”

“Incredible,” Helena’s response was instantaneous, as her smile returned. “It started out so tender; he played with my hair... God…” she sighed, lightly shaking her head sideways. “My legs are still trembling. We have a date tomorrow night.”

“Ooooh!” interjected Julia, in an extremely teasing tone, as she raised an eyebrow. “It looks like someone is going to get some tomorrow night! I have a few sets of sexy lingerie. Would you like to borrow one?”

“Oh, come on, Jules!” Monica spoke in a voice laced with frustration and a little indignation.. “This is their first date, for crying out loud. Do you really think she’ll want to sleep with him so quickly?”

“Actually, I do,” Helena admitted, dropping her gaze to the floor.

“What?” Monica exclaimed, snapping her head to the left to face her. “What are you talking about?”

“That man has awakened my primal urges, Monica,” Helena continued, raising her eyes to meet hers. “Ever since I’ve met him, all I can think about is how to get him into bed. That’s never happened to me before, not even with Roman.”

“Raunchy!” Julia expressed, with a devilish smile on her face. “Don’t mind Monica. She slept with Raul, without even going out on a real date with him first. What about that outfit?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Helena returned the smile. “I think I know just the way to entice him. I just hope he won’t mention the case tomorrow night. It’s probably going to ruin our date if he does.”

“Raul had done wonderful things for me, Jules,” Monica growled out, casting a nasty glare over at Julia. “I wasn’t going to turn down the man who had saved my life.”

“We all know that story,” Julia winked at her. “Don’t worry, Helena. Tomorrow night’s going to be fantastic. By the way, I want to know everything: every single naughty detail.”

“Hopeless…” Monica hummed, tipping her head back to peer upwards at the ceiling.

“I heard that!” Julia complained, raising her tone.

“Girls…” Helena croaked, as her eyes glinted with amusement. “Don’t forget to speak to your men. Tell them to stay away from Cliff and his colleagues. If they can’t, it’s crucial that they both keep their cool. Have a good night.”

The witch disappeared in her usual plume of red smoke, with a heart full of contentment. Her confessions to both of her friends had taken a weight off her shoulders. Luckily for her, Julia had not been as enthusiastic as she expected. If anything, her reactions had made her feel even better. Monica’s attitude was no surprise to her. She had the utmost respect for Raul’s mate, although she was capable and – most of the time – willing to overanalyze situations. Now, Helena was free to dream about her oncoming date with Cliff, hoping that she would get more and more kisses, like the one he had given her that night.