Chapter Nine
“They came all the way here from New Hampshire, because humans kicked them out of their land. Somehow, I’m supposed to believe that? Even if they did, New Hampshire is hundreds of miles away. They did find unclaimed land; they just wouldn’t stay there. That prick says he knows about our story with Marianne. He wants to claim Paxton. He wants to prove he’s better than me.”
Raul had managed to sum up the meaning of the rival pack’s presence outside their town in just a few sentences. It might have sounded cold, but it made perfect sense. Dominic’s pack was far away from home. There were plenty of forests and valleys between them, and yet, he had chosen their town. As much as Ray agreed with him, they also had to convince their pack.
Leaving the forest behind him, he noticed the seven males and the six females in the parking lot, facing in their direction. Apparently, they were so anxious about the outcome of their meeting with Dominic that they couldn’t wait for them in the diner. Raul quickened his pace, jogging ahead of his brothers, as they entered the lot.
“Alright, boys and girls, listen up!” He addressed them in a confident voice, his gaze sweeping around. “That prick said his pack wants to live in Paxton with us. I don’t know what you make of it, but I think it is total bullshit. There can’t be two packs in the same town. He gave us a week to decide. If we refuse to let them in, it’s war.”
“Live with us?” Bryant shook his head in mock skepticism, rubbing his cheek, as he paced towards his Alpha asking; “as in ‘together’? Like a big, happy family?”
A snicker rose up in the air, before Raul had a chance to speak. It was Martin, staring up at Bryant, biting his lower lip, as he held in yet another snicker. But, his attempts did not pay off. In an instant, he threw his head back, his mouth popping open, before he burst into roaring laughter. His fellow pack members seemed startled at first. They stared at him, some of them glancing up at Raul, and then back down at him. But, it wasn’t long before Martin’s entire 6ft body began to rock, his spine flexing and extending, provoking laughter in all of them. Ray banged his palm against his forehead, breaking into a hollow chuckle, as the merriment resounded through the wilderness. Raul was giggling, looking down at Bryant, whereas Dean bent his head towards his brother’s shoulder, cackling as he held his stomach.
“Goddamn…” he snorted, slapping his left hand against Raul’s back. “That was a good one.”
“Ok…” The Alpha spoke again, raising his left arm over his head. “Like I said, it’s bullshit. If it’s war they want…” He paused. “It is war they will get.” In the blink of an eye, the laughter turned into a loud, rumbling battle cry, as all eighteen shifters tossed their arms up in the air, putting a smile of contentment on Raul’s face. “Now, pay attention,” he urged, as Melissa jogged towards her brothers. “They outnumber us, two to one. We need to be smart here. If we meet them head-on, chances are we’re going to get our asses kicked. So, Martin and Jimmy, you need to do some more recon. Bryant, you go with them. Make sure they don’t do anything stupid again. You have forty-eight hours. Come over to my place when you’re done. Go. The rest of you can go home.”
Ray remained silent, thinking about the ugliness that lay ahead. Just like Raul and Dean, he had been in fights, but had never fought an actual war. He only knew about it from the stories his father used to tell him. He wished he could avoid it, but, sadly for him and his pack, this choice was being forced upon them. Judging by the stiff faces, and their unwillingness to speak on the drive home, his siblings shared his view on the matter. Once again, the Bradford family would have to fight for survival, and that fact had cast a shadow of worry over them.
The sight of his motorcycle outside his cabin instantly brought Julia back into his mind. Ray’s heart skipped a beat. Yes, he did believe that she was a little too childish, but, this attitude towards life was exactly what he needed that night, precisely what his heavy heart was missing. He needed to fill his neediness with a distraction, in the form of a beautiful redhead, but one that was, unfortunately, more than a hundred miles away. Ray switched on his cell phone. Hearing her voice was guaranteed to make him feel better, and a little closer to her. Still, the two incoming messages he had from her only tested his frustration tolerance.
“I’m having tons of fun with my girls. This road trip’s amazing, but it doesn’t even come close to last night. I can’t get enough of that bike of yours. Can we please ride further next time? You pick the place.”
“So, we’re out dancing in “Blue Island”, Monica’s favorite club. I think we may have screwed up. There’s a lot of tango music playing in here. Girls can’t dance tango with each other; lol. Wish you were here, so I could dance with you. I miss you.”
“What are you doing to me?” He whispered, leaning his head back against the wall. The sound of high heels on the concrete interrupted the moment. Turning his head to the left, he noticed Helena, crossing his front yard. Strangely enough, the witch had chosen to stroll to the Bradford’s property.
“No smoke this time?” Ray probed, pursing his lips.
“Your brother has been complaining to me about my timing of late.” She retorted, pulling her hood back from her head. “And I’m afraid rightfully so. I have caught him at bad times, more than once. Besides, the forest is but a short walk from here.”
“Dean’s upstairs,” he sighed, casting a quick, sideways glance up his brother’s cabin to his right.
“I’m not here to see him,” Helena stated in a strict tone, reaching up to grab his arm. “I’m actually here to see you; and that redhead. Is she here?”
“No, she’s in New York.” Disappointment lined her face, upon hearing his answer.
“I’d like to talk to both of you,” She declared pointedly, intensifying her stare. “Come find me when she gets here. It’s very important.”
“Find you?” Ray squinted down at her. “Why? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“It’s too complicated, Ray.” Helena raised her tone of voice out of frustration. “Frankly, I’ve never been this puzzled. Do as I say. It concerns you both.”
“Great; just what I needed: a riddle,” he thought to himself, as the witch turned her back on him. But, Ray was too emotionally drained to bother himself with it. Helena herself called it “complicated”, and he was in no condition to speculate on what she meant by that. Right now, he was in urgent need of some rest.