Chapter Twenty One

Forty minutes before midnight, Helena was at the forest line, a few yards west of “Joe’s” diner. The pack seemed too eager for this; most of them were already there. Part of her wanted to join them, talk to them, and offer them some more advice, but, by then, they were all aware of what their enemies were capable of. She had nothing left to teach them. More importantly, however, Helena had to think about any surprises the vampires might have in store for them, and she couldn’t do it in the company of the wolves. It was more than certain that they would ask questions, questions that their Alpha was perfectly capable of answering.

Nevertheless, as minutes went by, it became clear to her that all the solitude in the world could not avail her. Why? Because it reminded her of what her life used to be like before meeting Cliff, and what it would be like from now on. Day or night, summer or winter, didn’t matter. Helena would be alone, far away from the arms of the man she had betrayed. Out of his sight, and out of his heart. Her only comfort would be the memories she had with him, the moments that were starting to bring tears to her eyes, as she patiently awaited the pack. Thankfully for her though, Raul’s massive stature on the diner staircase acted like a wakeup call, preventing her from giving in to emotion yet again.

“We’re ready when you are.” He spoke, a fierce determination glowing in his eyes, as his confident footsteps led him to her.

“Can I have your attention please?” She raised her tone, shifting her gaze from him to glance out at the pack that gathered in front of her. “Tonight, we’ll be facing perhaps our most vicious foes: your natural enemies; creatures with no respect for the sanctity of life – human or shifter. I know many of you are afraid. I’m afraid, too. They’re hard to kill, some of them are just as strong as you, and they have no honor. But, you are something they are not: the sons and daughters of the mountain. The ragged landscape has forged you into the fierce warriors that you are today. And they trespassed upon the land of your forefathers, the mountain where wolf and man became one. Show them…” she paused, as she pulled her staff out of her cloak; “show them the true meaning of punishment. Unleash your wrath on them,” Helena’s bright, red glow spread down her head, enveloping her entire body, as she tapped her stick onto the muddy ground. “For your mates: for your children; for each and every thing you hold dear; For Paxton!” she cried, thrusting her staff up in the air, as the pack’s tremendous battle cry tore through the wilderness.

Raul’s nod served as their signal, as she turned around. Hundreds of ribs cracked, legs thinned and shortened, hips reshaped, as their beasts ripped out of their skin. Helena stormed into Lockhart forest, feeling her fury blasting through her veins. Chugging the cold air, the mighty witch left bushes and undergrowth behind, as views of Paxton and Shandaken at night popped into her mind. The ground began to vibrate beneath her feet, as she ran parallel to the trees. Of course, she knew very well who was behind her, but, she looked over her shoulder nonetheless. Raul’s gray wolf was leading the pack, with Dean’s and Ray’s light-brown and silver wolves on his flanks. Melissa’s light-gray wolf and Julia’s white one were following right behind them, their massive paws picking up mud and gravel, as they loped across the woods. The Alpha lengthened his strides, as a feral snarl escaped him. His gallop grew louder in Helena’s ears, as she caught a glimpse of him on her left, out of the corner of her eye. Raul gave her a happy yip, just before he jumped over a thorny bush that blocked his path. He left her trailing behind him, charging forward faster by the second, forcing her to quicken her own pace. Still, as much as she tried, she could not possibly hope to keep up with him or any other wolf for that matter. Within seconds, Helena was between Dean and Ray’s wolves, staring down at the Alpha’s tail, as it swished out behind him. The earth shook, as the pack galloped across the harsh landscape, determined to dispose of their enemies, once and for all. Helena looked up at the trees, concerned that the vampires could have used them as cover. It wouldn’t be unlikely of them; playing dirty was in their blood. Yet, a quick scan around, set her fears at ease. No pair of eyes met her gaze. Branches were empty, moving about, as the wind rustled through them.

Soft beams of moonlight revealed an opening between an elm tree and a cedar tree, as the hour of battle drew near. Raul’s wolf sped past the two trees, and hurtled into the clearing, as the vampires’ hair-raising snarls sent Helena’s adrenaline into the ozone layer. By then, her lungs were beginning to hurt from chugging the cold air. Exhaustion was starting to set in, but stopping was not an option. She was focused on one thing, and one thing alone: to help them win this war. The pack’s ferocious growls and snarls snuffed out every other noise as they burst into the clearing. Their enemies’ eyes were glowing yellow in the darkness when Helena joined them. Using quick bursts of speed, they closed in on the wolves, as she gripped her staff with both hands. The Alpha fixed his gaze on Redfield, his 6’5” counterpart, as he raised his upper lip, exposing sparkling white teeth and fangs. He let off a deep bark, as he leapt onto him. But, it was then that the fight went horribly wrong. A white glow spread around Raul’s foe, just before his muzzle made contact with the skin on Redfield’s throat. It was as if Redfield was surrounded by an impenetrable force field. An agonizing yip erupted from the Alpha, as he was sent flying back across the clearing. The yip turned into a cry of pain, as he tumbled onto the ground. An evil smile formed on Redfield’s face, as he hurried off towards Raul’s wolf. He jumped onto him, the yellow in his eyes darkening, as he grabbed him by the throat. The Alpha squirmed beneath him, letting out more yips, but to no avail. His adversary’s grip was much too strong for him. Just then, however, Dean’s wolf lunged onto Redfield from his right side. His jaws closed around his shoulder, as his sheer momentum sent his adversary reeling to the side. The vampire landed flat and hard on his back, and he started to roll over onto the grass, with Dean’s wolf holding on to him. Raul’s wolf scrambled back up, as Redfield’s body slammed up against a large rock. His cry of agony echoed in the forest, as Dean sank his teeth further into his skin. In a swift, violent move, he yanked his enemy’s arm back, ripping it off his body, as Raul moved around him. He stepped onto Redfield, his eyes smoldering with the desire to snuff the life out of him. A menacing snarl left his lips, as he thrust his snout down. The wolf sank his teeth into his cold skin, and then thrashed, sending small shards of ice across the ground, as he tore his head clean off.

Amid a chaos of snarls, growls and yips, Helena focused her gaze on someone who had been staring down at something to his right. Averting her eyes from him, she figured out why, and who he was, as she headed towards him: Julia’s wolf had only just knocked Melissa’s wolf off balance. Don Greer, one of Redfield’s lieutenants, had taken control of the inexperienced Julia’s mind, setting her will against her own kind. There was only one way Helena could put an end to the situation. Her red eyes glowed darker, as she thrust her staff up at him.

“Nice try,” she growled, her face contorting with rage, as her rival’s feet left the ground. Helena wished she had more time to deal with him. Yet, in the heat of battle, time was a luxury she could not afford. So, she held her staff firmly in her grasp, and lowered it, watching, as Greer’s body floated a few feet above the ground. Her foe began spinning, as she twisted her stick in her palms. With a tap of her index finger on the side of it, she tossed him, so that he flew across the clearing and to the right. Redfield’s lieutenant crashed onto the same rock his Alpha had stopped against earlier. In the blink of an eye, his body was shattered, like a glass falling to a hardwood floor. Helena started a sweep of the area ahead of her, searching for more of her adversaries. Alas, she was not given the time to find one. A huge amount of pressure on her back knocked her off her feet. The witch felt a cold sensation on her skin – her staff slipping out of her grasp – as she dropped to the ground. The feeling spread all over her body, paralyzing her limbs, as someone grabbed her shoulder. She only discovered the identity of her opponent, when he rolled her over. Water was dripping off his jaw. It was Bill Carpenter, Redfield’s last remaining lieutenant.

“Clover Lake came in really handy. It’s so nice and cold.” Irony was dripping off of his tongue, as he lifted his foot. Helena let out a painful grunt, as he pinned her to the ground with a foot in the middle of her chest. “I’m going to enjoy killing you, you whore.”

Helena reached her hand out towards her staff, in the hope that she could escape this terrible fate. Her fingertips brushed the top end, pushing it slightly away, but enough to destroy every last shred of that hope. Shutting her eyes, she tipped her head back, exhaling hard, as she realized that her fighting days had come to an end. But then the sound of a roaring fire forced her eyes open, making her heart flutter in her chest. A huge fireball lit up the night, flaming away the vampire who was about to kill her. Her gaze followed the fiery trail, as a gust of wind scattered her foe’s ashes. It led back to a flamethrower, in the grasp of a man in a black uniform and a helmet. He wasn’t alone; one more stranger was a few feet away from him, using the same weapon to end another vampire who had made the mistake of attacking him. The stunned Helena breathed a sigh of relief, as he offered her his hand. Whatever surprise she had felt though was nothing compared to the shockwaves that the image of the utter devastation sent down her spine. Almost all of the grass in the entire clearing had been flattened. Vampire bodies littered the ground. Their arms, legs and heads had been scattered around them. Alas, the battle had taken a toll on the pack as well. Three wolves lay dead among their rivals. Raul was standing over one of them, yipping in sorrow, as he sniffed his comrade’s body.

Helena’s teeth were rattling, as her mystery savior let go of her hand. He tossed his flamethrower down on the ground, as she took a hesitant step towards him. But, when the man in question pulled his helmet up and off his head, the awe and confusion that ran through her like an electric current froze her to the spot where she stood. His black hair was messy, but the lines on his face were crystal clear, even in the pale moonlight. It was Cliff Daniels.

“H-how...?” Helena stuttered, her brows popping up, as she stared at him in sheer disbelief.

“First of all, let me introduce you to Frank Bullard,” he said as he pointed over at his partner. “He’s been my best friend since kindergarten. Majestic, the book I showed you back in my office, describes wars between shifters, witches and vampires very well. It says fire is the best way to kill one of them. Your little stunt up in Shandaken just confirmed it. We came in prepared.”

“To-to help me?” stuttered Helena yet again, struggling to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

“I’d be damned if I let those bastards hurt the woman I love,” Cliff uttered, his voice a soft whisper, as he leaned closer to her. “She might have lied to me, but she did it to protect her own. Her tears were not fake tears. Her kiss felt too real. Her touch was too tender.”

The cold she was feeling in her bones melted, with each one of his kind, sincere comments. Helena gazed up into the greenness of his eyes, as waves of joy stormed into her senses. He was back. She wasn’t doomed to solitude. Tipping her head up, she snaked her arms around his waist, as he rested his forehead on hers. Cliff’s kiss, the small, comforting ritual that she had so dearly missed, sent her heart into a flurry of wild beats, as he dropped his helmet onto the ground. His masculine scent flowed through her, as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Nevertheless, this was more than a mere kiss. As seconds went by, she thought that it was an intoxicating serum, designed to pull her out of her misery, and into the world of true love. Helena was not going to reject the journey that Cliff was so freely offering her. She wanted it from the bottom of her heart. She desired it with every molecule of her being. His lips moved over to her cheek, as he slid his arm up her back. Planting two more kisses on her skin, he held her near, as she put her head on his chest.

“I love you,” she breathed, as tears of bliss blurred her vision.

“I love you,” he whispered once more, as he threaded his fingers into her hair.

“Ok, last question,” Helena spoke, her voice wobbly, as she tightened her grip around him. “How did you know where to find me?”

“Well…” Cliff snorted in amusement. “You’ll be surprised how visible your glow is from a distance. I was driving out of Shandaken, when I spotted it. It wasn’t bigger than a flare, but it was enough.”

Raul’s gray wolf ran past her, as Cliff caressed her hair. Moving around a dead vampire, he jumped onto the higher ground in front of him, as he gazed up at the moon. The victorious Alpha ran along the edge of the clearing, hackles raised, tail straight out behind him, bringing a smile of happiness to her face. His quick footfalls slowed down at a spot between two, towering elm trees. The Alpha threw his head back an instant before his howl of pride rose into the air and reverberated through the night, as a tear streamed down Helena’s cheek.

The witch of Paxton had never felt more complete. Her family had emerged unscathed from this battle. The man of her dreams had come back to reclaim her, once again proving to her that his nobility knew no bounds. Helena had not been true to him; but, that night, she vowed to herself to honor the love of her life, to cherish him like no other, and to always be honest with him. In his arms, she understood how wrong she had been when she believed that Roman Bradford was the only one that she could ever love. The siblings’ grandfather had failed her. Now that she had found her significant other, she was going to prove to him just how much she valued his love for her: the love of kindness personified; the embrace of temptation itself; Cliff Daniels, her savior, her mate.