“I’ve never heard of a vampire impervious to daylight before,” she uttered, her voice shot through with tension, as she glanced up at Cliff and then back at Dean. “I’m just as stunned as you are. I can’t help you with that, but I do have some information you might find useful.”
“We’re all ears,” Raul spoke, his voice bass-deep, as he folded his arms across his chest.
“Lorraine Mercer, my contact in Miami, told me this morning that there’s at least one different type of vampire clan,” Helena informed them, fixing her gaze on the Alpha. “Back in 1982, an Alpha named Vincent Gordon, had assembled a rather strong clan in Tampa Bay, but he didn’t bully anybody into obeying him. He cared for his fellow vampires, and they cared for him. However, when word reached other clan Alphas, they didn’t appreciate this one bit. They joined forces, and eradicated Gordon’s clan. Lorraine sent me all the information she had on them. You can read about them here,” she added, handing the pack of papers over to Ray.
“Before I killed that prick down in New York, he said something like: ‘My brothers will avenge me.’ I think we’re dealing with this kind of clan here,” Dean told everyone, letting them know another piece to the puzzle existed.
“This night keeps getting better and better,” Raul grumbled, tearing his gaze away from her; “vampires that actually love one another. Man, I must be having a dream,”
“I need some time to find out more about them,” Helena stated in a flattened tone of voice, glancing up at the brothers around her.
“Alright,” Raul declared as he drew in a sharp breath. “Boys, we’re going to Shandaken. Helena, you can sit this one out. Cliff, you can tag along if you want, but, unless you got some silver bullets, that gun of yours is useless against them.”
“I’ll stay here, if you promise me you won’t engage them,” The witch declared, taking one step closer to the Alpha. “Remember: Redfield’s clan had ambushed you. Do not attack them, unless you have no other choice.”
“We’ll just do some recon,” Raul asserted, nodding at the same time. “Come on, guys. Let’s go meet our new neighbors.”
The witch had given an answer to the question that had been on Dean’s mind, but it was not the one he had been hoping for. In his heart, he wanted to believe that his rival was just being delirious, not that vampires could be close to one another. In any case, he and his brothers had to investigate the sighting that Cliff had mentioned. The people of Shandaken could be in peril yet again; and, just like before, the Bradford’s had to take action.
“I would love to believe Cliff was hallucinating,” Raul confessed, as he seated himself in the driver’s seat of his truck.
“So would I,” Dean muttered under his breath, as he entered the vehicle. “I mean, a vampire, taunting him in broad daylight? It sounds like a freaking nightmare.”
“It’s got to be Redfield’s clan,” Ray maintained, joining them, as the truck engine roared into life. “Maybe we didn’t kill them all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, kid,” Raul reprimanded, throwing a nasty glare up at him over his shoulder, as he drove off and out of their driveway. “Those bloodsuckers were vulnerable to sunlight. The one Dean killed called his clan ‘his brothers.’ When we got ambushed, Helena said she saw about fifty individuals. We counted twenty-six bodies that night. Add that to the twenty-three Helena toasted, McGee, the one she killed before battle, and there you have it. Besides, do you really think Redfield would spare anybody from battle?”
“Who else can it be?” Ray wondered, thrusting his arms out to the side, as Raul’s truck began climbing the uphill road. “Besides, I don’t remember us having a beef with any other clans.”
“Do the words ‘natural enemies’ mean anything to you?” Dean inquired, staring at his brother in the rearview mirror. “They don’t need an excuse to attack us. We’re a threat to them.”
“Ray’s right, Dean,” Raul remarked, his voice coming out slowly. “It may not be Redfield’s clan but, whoever the hell is behind all of this; they’re pissed at us for taking him out. That’s why they sent one of their own to kill Kate. That’s why they taunted Cliff today. They know who he is; they wanted to terrify him. It was like telling him: ‘Look at me, I’m a vampire, I can kill you in a heartbeat.’”
“Something doesn’t add up,” Dean said as worry crept into his voice. He turned his head to the left to face his brother. “They tried to murder Kate. Why wouldn’t they do the same to Cliff?”
“Cliff’s a cop with federal ties,” Raul rebutted, slightly raising his tone. “Cops don’t like it when they lose one of their own. They’d risk war with the sheriff; maybe the state police, too. War would bring too much attention to them.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Dean admitted, as they crossed the town border. “I really hope you’re right.”
“It sucks that we can’t use sunlight against them,” Raul complained, as his face hardened with disappointment. “You should have seen what it did to Darryl. He just…” he paused; “melted away.”
“I guess we’re going to have to rely on good, old-fashioned, brute force,” Ray joked, as he leaned forward. “That and Helena.”
“I don’t think she’ll be taking so many chances, now that she’s got Cliff,” Dean assumed, looking down at his brother. “A month ago, she would have jumped on the opportunity to go searching for vampires. Now; she made us promise to stay away from them.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Raul spoke, lowering his tone. “I was just testing her tonight. I needed to see if being with Cliff would change her approach. It did.”
“I don’t blame her,” Dean assumed a mellow tone of voice, as he leaned his back against his seat. “Before she met him, she would sacrifice her life for us. She had nothing to lose. She does now. Judging by the look in her eyes, it’s beautiful.”
“No one’s blaming her, Dean,” Raul assured, casting a warm, sideways look at him. “We’re all happy for her. None of us wanted her to be alone. It was her choice, not ours.”
Dean kept his mouth shut, gazing out at the dark, wooden houses and cabins on the right side of the road, being lit by the truck’s high beams, as they went along. The town of Shandaken was fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the creatures that roamed around it and their intentions, precisely like it had been in the recent past. He hadn’t been there in a while, and, in truth, he could not remember much of it, but, as the abandoned windmill came into view, he realized how lucky the pack had been. It might have been almost half a mile away from the nearest residence; yet, it lay too close to the forest on the foothills of Wolf Mountain. The battle between them and Redfield’s clan had not at all faded from memory. Screams, snarls, growls, cries of pain, arms getting ripped off bodies, as well as vampire skulls cracking would not go unnoticed, had the Alpha’s decided to fight over there. Possible winds would carry every horrific noise into town. The elevation and the unobstructed view of the woods would give any curious human with a pair of binoculars a very good view of the battle. It would only be a matter of time until someone from Shandaken arrived at the scene.
Dean felt his heartbeat escalating, as his brother pulled over to the side of the road, just a few feet away from the windmill in question. Led by Raul, the three brothers left the safety of the vehicle, and then started up the hill, as Dean took a few, furtive glances around him. The moonlight cast its light upon the mill, exposing the rust on the edges, and the white paint, flaking off its outer wall. A squirrel rushed out of a short bush, as his brother moved around it. However, as the terrain began to level out, the three of them came across an unbelievable sight. A large area, just after the forest border, had been burnt to the ground. Most of the trees had been reduced to ashes. Their roots were sticking up from the ground, and their trunks were no taller than four or five inches. The few that remained were blackened and leafless, missing entire branches, and big parts of their trunks. Furthermore, the forest floor had been charred, littered with singed pieces of wood and burnt
-out leaves.
“Helena’s handiwork,” Raul whispered, his admiration dripping off his tongue, as he sauntered towards the closest tree. “It’s incredible to think she took out almost half of Redfield’s clan singlehandedly.”
Dean dropped his gaze down to the ground, in awe of the utter devastation, as Ray passed him by. Just as he did though, the foul scent that filled his nostrils forced him to think twice: Death. A vampire was in the area. Looking hard out of the corners of his eyes, he spotted the intruder, as he emerged from behind a balsam fir tree, just outside the blackened forest floor. He was tall, possibly even taller than him, with short, blond hair, wearing a white suit and a black tie. By then, both of his brothers were looking in his direction.
“Nobody can call a hideous crime like this ‘handiwork’, unless they’re insane,” he grumbled in his grainy voice, as his red eyes glowed in the darkness.
“What can be called ‘handiwork’, cold one?” Raul wondered, as he stepped ahead of his brothers. “A slaughtered deer? Two deer? A human, maybe? Oops. Sorry,” he shook his head in mock sadness. “That’s not allowed around here.”
“Wolves…” the stranger cringed, as his slow footsteps brought him closer to the brothers. “You’re always interfering. You have no sense of humor.”
“Why don’t you try and crack us up?” Raul suggested, his voice dripping with irony. “I have to warn you, though. If your joke sucks, I’m going to crack your fucking skull open.”
“Filthy mouths, too,” The vampire went on, still with the same look of disgust in his face, as he slowed his strides. “I’m not here to exchange words with you, Raul Bradford. I don’t intend to engage you or your brothers. You might be wondering how it is that I know your name. Well, I’ve spent the past six weeks, learning everything about the wolf that killed my brother. I know you, your mates’ names, and that witch that scorched this forest. I’m Damian Redfield. Paul Redfield’s brother. I only showed myself to the witch’s mate this morning, because I had a feeling he’d tell you all about our little encounter. I have no interest in the humans in Shandaken.”
“You’re his brother?” Raul squinted at him, as surprise washed over Dean’s face. “How can I be sure you’re telling the truth? And why weren’t you in his clan?”
“Because I lead my own clan,” Damian’s comeback came very fast, as if he anticipated this question. “Unlike him, I never liked to terrorize my crew. They’re with me, because I’ve given them a lot more than fear. They respect me. They would die for me, and I would die for them. I never liked my brother. But, that doesn’t mean I wanted to see him dead.”
“Your brother was going to slaughter the entire town,” Raul growled, furrowing his brow, as he let his beast peer out of him. “You didn’t expect me to sit by and watch, did you?”
“Humans are inferior creatures. They’re our food,” Damian claimed, his own eyes dimming, as he halted right in front of Raul. “I was expecting a superior creature like you to understand our need to feed. You proved me wrong. But, what’s done is done. I came here to tell you we’re at war. I wasn’t going to sneak up on you or your pack, the way your witch did to my brother’s clan. I have honor.”
“Honor my ass!” Dean’s stentorian voice roared like thunder, his eyes blazing with unmasked anger, as he leaned over towards him. “Is that why you sent that fucker to kill Kate?”
“Bill Saunders was instructed to convey the same message I’m trying to convey to you.” Damian’s face remained calm, despite Dean’s outburst. “The fact that he’s missing tells me that his zeal was his undoing.”
“You’re goddamn right it was,” Dean snarled as his breath got heavier by the second and he felt his blood boiling in his veins.
“Take it easy, big man,” Raul urged, using his elbow to push him aside. “What’s with this ‘war declaration’ crap? Get your clan here. Let’s settle this score, once and for all.”
“Oh, no,” A snort of derision escaped Damian, as a sarcastic smile burst upon his lips. “What, you really thought I was going to do this the old fashioned way? No, Bradford. This isn’t going to be your typical war: no fists; no jaws; no muscle. I’ll be seeing you.”
The vampire tossed a malicious glare at Raul, just as he finished his sentence. He turned around, leaving the trio in confusion. Damian Redfield did not seem like their typical foe. So far, their adversaries had used the “charge head-on” method: Marianne McIntyre razed their workshop to the ground; Dominic’s pack challenged them; the demon Azazel tried to murder Helena in cold blood; and Tom Riker had brazenly abducted Ray. Dean believed that at some point in the night, Damian’s clan would show up. Still, his expectations were proved woefully wrong. He was all alone. Moreover, there were no other vampire scents in the air, not even faint ones, which was more evidence of his solitude. Dean followed his brothers back to his Alpha’s truck, struggling to comprehend Damian’s threat. To his disappointment, neither Raul nor Ray uttered a word. They seemed lost in their thoughts, as if they shared the same feeling of unease that had brushed across the senses bequeathed to them.
Chapter Six
The following morning, incredibly enough, Dean’s brothers did not mention their meeting with Damian Redfield at all. As soon as they entered their workshop, they both chose to focus on their job. Perhaps they were in denial. The news of an entirely different clan, threatening them with annihilation was not easy to take in. How could they believe that a group of vampires, bound by love for one another, were willing to eradicate them? Maybe Raul and Ray had selected to ignore them. The Bradford’s only knew one type of war, and Damian had suggested there would be something completely unknown to them. How could they preoccupy themselves with guessing what he meant, especially with such an excessive workload? How could they plan their next course of action, when they had no idea of their enemies’ whereabouts or their intentions? The answer was simple. They couldn’t. So, he preferred to follow their example, and keep his thoughts to himself. After all, they had so much work to do that bringing up Damian would only distract them. They couldn’t waste time over discussing possibilities.
The night found Dean wandering about in his yard, as Kate readied herself for yet another trip to New York. Unlike the other day, he was not interested in attending her performance. Too tired by work, and drained by what had transpired the night before, he was in no mood to leave his birthplace, let alone drive for two-and-a-half hours to the big city. Still, the same could not be said for Julia and Melissa. Much to his liking, their cheers and their squeaky voices could be heard from outside, as they dressed up and put on their makeup. They both sounded thrilled to go to the Big Apple, and watch their dear friend mesmerize her fans. Dean breathed a sigh of relief, as he realized that, even though he wouldn’t be with his beloved Kate that night, she would have the protection of two, strong shifters. He didn’t need to worry about her safety. Her good friends would not let anything bad happen to her.
Nevertheless, as he watched them drive away from the estate, a massive urge to talk to his brothers surged within him. Without his mate, the night would be long and very lonely indeed. Tormented by ugly thoughts, Dean would not find peace of mind, not before Kate returned, the next day. Sadly though, a visit to his Alpha was not an option. It was almost 9 p. m.; his daughter could be sleeping, and he doubted whether he could keep his voice down. Therefore, he decided to head over to Ray. Halfway towards his cabin however, his younger brother stormed out of his cabin, with a sullen look in his eyes.
“Whoa!” Dean exclaimed, as a wave of surprise washed over his face. “What’s the matter, kid? Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“I just got off the phone with Raul,” Ray stated, as he strode past him. “I told him I wanted to talk to him about last night. He’s waiting for me.”
“Oh, thank God,” Dean sighed in relief, starting off behind him. “What about the baby? Is she awake?”
“Monica’s over at Helena’s,” Ray announced, staring down at the knob on his
brother’s front door. “I’m going crazy, man. I’m still thinking about last night.”
Dean smiled bitterly to himself, upon hearing his confession. He wouldn’t dignify it with a rebuttal. There was no point in continuing this conversation; soon, they would discuss their situation with Raul. Ray grabbed the door handle, and literally barged in, only to find his Alpha relaxing on his couch, with a can of beer in his grasp.
“Hey, boys,” he winked up at them, as Dean stepped beside his brother. “You look worried. What seems to be the problem?”
“He’s got to be stoned,” Ray whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Jr., if you had kids, you’d understand how precious these few, free moments are” the Alpha replied in a commanding tone, as he eased the can down on the table.
“I can understand your need to relax,” Dean interjected, as he began towards him. “A baby can be a handful, but, right now, we can’t afford to relax.”
“Really?” Raul spoke, a touch of irony in his tone, as he rose from his seat. “Says who?”
“Says the bloodsucker who declared war upon us last night,” frustration was lingering in Ray’s voice, as his face tightened. “Don’t you think we should be out there looking for him and his clan?”
“Where?” Raul emphasized that single word that came out of his mouth, as the calmness on his face vaporized. “Lockhart forest; Shandaken; Wolf Mountain: where should we go first? Maybe we should go to New York; how about that?”
“All I’m saying is that we need to think more and do less,” Dean clarified, attempting a softer tone. “There’s nothing much we can do, anyway.”
“If by ‘think’, you mean ‘speculate’, then thanks, but ‘no, thanks,’” Raul went on, losing the irony that had crept into his voice. “What do you want to do, guys? Spend our night coming up with theories as to what that prick meant? It could be pretty much anything. Anyway, I’ve doubled the guard at both town limits. If the boys see or smell anything weird, we’ll know right away.”
A Wolf's Journey Page 3
