A Wolf's Touch (Wolf Mountain Peak Book 3)

by Sarah J. Stone

  “Come,” Helena urged, as she turned over the cover. “Believe it or not, you two are in this book.”

  Ray flashed Julia an inquisitive look, deep down dreading what they were going to read. All of her enthusiasm, all the playfulness that had drawn him to her had vanished altogether. Her eyes had narrowed with a mix of confusion and fear. On the other hand, he was probably more puzzled than she was. This book had been known to him for a while. It had accurately predicted his brother’s fate. Why hadn’t Helena spoken about his fate? Why had she kept this a secret? In spite of his bewilderment though, Ray would not voice his discomfort. First of all, he had to read the part that mentioned him and Julia. The two of them did not speak; they merely obliged, and looked down at the book.

  “In three hundred years from now, nine days prior to the full buck moon of summer, Wolfborn Fire, daughter of ‘Wise Ruler’ shall comfort Light, the youngest brother of the Alpha.

  Double nineteen’s shall adorn her name. Light shall capture her heart, and she shall capture his. Wolfborn Fire knows no fear. She will stand by Light, no matter the cost. Their enemies shall seek to tear them apart, but they will remain true to one another.

  Three days prior to the full buck moon, Wolfborn Fire will embrace the Wolf.”

  “Ok, what is this nonsense?” Frustration was lingering in Julia’s voice, as she tossed a sideways glare down at Helena. “I mean, ‘Wolfborn Fire?’ ‘Wise Ruler’? ‘Light’? The only thing I get is that part about the Alpha’s youngest brother.”

  “Full buck moon is in July.” Raul interjected, jogging towards them, as Monica followed right behind him.

  “Monica said your father’s name was Ronald. That’s the English derivative of ‘Ronaldo’, that’s Portuguese for ‘wise ruler’. Your last name is Stinson. Double ‘S’, double nineteen’s. The ‘fire’ symbolizes your hair. ‘Light’ symbolizes Ray’s name.” Helena explained, freezing Ray’s face in total disbelief. He lifted his hand up to his mouth, unable to work up the courage to speak, staring into the void, as a bitter snort left Raul’s lips.

  “Wolfborn?” Julia whispered, her lips trembling, as she leaned closer to the witch. “My parents…?”

  “Your father was a shape shifter…” Helena answered her question before she even had the chance to pose it; “…and a very powerful one. As a matter of fact, Ronald Stinson used to be Dominic Granger’s top lieutenant for years, before he met your mother. He gave up his life for her; he left his pack, never to return.”

  “Jules…” Monica took a deep breath, reaching her hand up to her friend’s shoulder. “I contacted the head of the stroke ward in Presbyterian Hospital. She’s a good friend of mine. She said your father was never treated for a stroke. He was hospitalized for a heart attack, which he didn’t survive.”

  “He died of a broken heart,” Ray concluded, clenching his jaw, as tears rose up in his girlfriend’s eyes.

  “Oh, God…” she whispered in despair, raising her hands up to her temples, as Monica pulled her in for a side hug.

  “According to my spies, you are one of the reasons that Dominic Granger is here.” Helena pointed out. “The Alpha is planning to take over Paxton. His comrade betrayed him. He means to kill you, Julia.”

  “I knew it!” Raul cried, banging his head in a spasm of rage.

  “Let’s go back one second.” Ray suggested, scratching his skin. “What does that last sentence mean? ‘Embrace the Wolf?”

  “Khalista loved to be vague,” Helena sighed, shutting the book. “She could be speaking metaphorically or literally. We cannot know.”

  “Poor dad…” Julia sobbed, a tear rushing down her cheek, as Monica squeezed her in her embrace. “She killed him.”

  “The wolf waiting for us at the side of the road wasn’t just trying to kill me, was he?” Ray’s bitter tone gave away his sadness. His enemy’s ambush, Victoria’s innuendos, the presence of Dominic’s pack, Ronald’s impeccable looks, his untimely death, shortly after his divorce with his wife… Everything made sense now, even Julia’s courage. She might not have the powers of his kind, but she was just as brave as he and his family. Much to his astonishment, his “mess” as he liked to call her was a half-breed; still, she had inherited her big heart from her father; a heart that he was destined to hold on to.

  “Ray…” Monica whispered, waving him towards her.

  “Shhh…” he hissed, striding towards Julia, as she eased out of her friend’s embrace. “It’s ok, mess,” he breathed, curling his arms around her back, as she rested her head on his chest. “It’s ok.”

  “It’s not ‘ok’, Ray,” Julia sobbed, as more tears spilled from her eyes. “She lied to me. She had me believe he was the bad guy.”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, burying his face into her hair. “This must be really hard for you.”

  “Ray…” she sighed, easing back to look up at him. “Can I go upstairs? I want to be alone for a bit.”

  “Sure.” Ray gave a gentle nod. A lie; a white lie maybe, but a lie it remained. No, Ray wasn’t ‘ok’ with her desire for solitude. In fact, her request intensified his sadness. By then, all he wanted was to hold her in his arms, and comfort her all night. However, he had to respect her wish. Julia was suffering. Refusing to indulge her at this dark hour would lead to an argument they could both do without.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Julia’s heart was sinking in a sea of sorrow. She did appreciate the fact that Ray had tried his best to soothe her, but this new realization was so much more than she could handle. There were just no words of comfort available to help her ease her pain. Why? Because: for the past twelve years, she had been living a massive lie; the lie that her mother had so shamelessly passed off to her as the truth. Her father had never cheated. He had not been disrespectful to his wife, or his daughter. Julia didn’t know whether he had done anything wrong or not; yet, he was loyal to his family. And he had paid for his love of her and her mother with his very life…

  What really puzzled her was that she had not seen any signs whatsoever. For more than an hour, Julia struggled to recall anything that could at least trigger suspicion, like a snarl, a glare, a growl, things typical to shape shifters, but, nothing even implied that Ronald Stinson was more than the handsome man she used to call “dad”. Everything was as ordinary as it could be. He was a good, caring father, who took care of his family, as best as he could. Ronald was a mellow type. Julia could count his outbursts of anger on the fingers of one hand. Apparently, he could hide his nature very well, much better than the shape shifters she had crossed paths with so far.

  “Jules, wake up!” Monica’s loud voice jolted her out of her thoughts. There she was, standing under her doorframe, tension written all over her face.

  “I am up,” Julia groaned, her tone lazy, as she leaned her back against the bed board. “How long have you been standing there?”

  “Much too long, I’m afraid.” Monica muttered, trotting towards her. “I’m sorry to barge in like this. I just wanted to check on you. You’ve been up here for a while now.”

  “How could she do this, Mon?” Julia wondered, shrugging her shoulders. “I mean, how could she lie to her child, her blood, about something like that? Wasn’t she just a little bit ashamed?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine, sweetheart,” Monica said, seating herself on the edge of the bed. “But I knew your mother. Maybe not as well as you, obviously, but I did know her. She must have had good reason.”

  “I think I’m having a nightmare here,” Julia groaned, her eyes flashing with anger, as she glared at her. “You’re not defending her, are you?”

  “No, I’m not,” Monica countered, maintaining the calm in her tone. “I’m just trying to show some understanding.”

  “Ok then, Dr. ‘Understanding’, imagine this,” Julia urged, bringing her knees to her chest. “In fourteen years from now, you and Raul break up. You know his weakness. You know how much he loves you, and yet, when he dies – because die he will �
� you lie to your own child about the cause of his death, and you taint his memory by calling him a cheater. How does that sound?” Julia’s short rant clearly put her friend in an awkward position. Monica pursed her lips, averting her gaze from her, as she took a deep breath. “That’s what I thought,” Julia grouched.

  “What your mother did was appalling,” Monica stated, returning her gaze to her friend’s face. “She’s still your mother, though. You owe it to her to hear her side of the story, before you jump to conclusions.”

  “That is exactly what I’m going to do!” Julia exclaimed, nodding emphatically, as she scooted over to the edge of her bed.

  “What are you doing?” Monica asked with a shrewd smile on her face, as her friend picked up her cell phone from the nightstand.

  “I’m going to start calling airports,” Julia’s answer only broadened her smile, as she swiped her index finger across the screen.

  “Put your phone down,” Monica’s teasing tone puzzled her. “You don’t need to.”

  “Wh…”

  “I know you like the back of my hand, Jules,” Monica interjected, making her voice sweeter. “You may be passionate: blunt; a little weird sometimes; but you always do the right thing. I called JFK, about an hour ago. I’ve book us tickets on the next available flight to L.A. Tomorrow evening, 6:45 p.m.”

  “You’re unbelievable,” Julia chuckled, leaning in towards her friend. “Thank you,” she said, wrapping her arms around Monica’s shoulders.

  “Ahem…” Ray cleared his throat, drawing Julia’s attention, as she leaned back.

  “I’ll be waiting for you downstairs,” Monica spoke, flashing her a happy look.

  “I take it you heard all that,” Julia assumed, her tone hesitant.

  “I did,” Ray nodded, as Monica brushed past him. “I was there, when Monica called the airport.”

  “I’m really sorry, Ray,” Julia heaved a long, deep sigh, as she rose from the bed. “I have to do this.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for, Julia,” He replied in a mellow tone, sauntering towards her, as his lips turned up in a polite smile. “Do what you have to do. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Really; you don’t mind?” She shook her head in surprise. “I’ll be away for most of the w…”

  He didn’t allow her to finish her sentence. Ray placed his hands on either side of her face, pulling her close, as he tilted his head down. A gasp of surprise escaped her, as he pressed his lips against hers. But, there was no haste in her wolf’s kiss, just the usual tenderness that took her breath away every time their mouths joined. Ray’s strong arms surrounded her, sending her heart into a flurry of wild beats, as he took her into his embrace. He lifted his right hand to her cheek, feathering his knuckles along her jaw, as his warm breath sent ripples of bliss through her body.

  “Stop,” Julia gave a short laugh, tipping her head down. “Please, stop.”

  “What, you don’t like it?” Ray teased, sliding his hand up and into her hair.

  “I like it too much!” She complained, snaking her arms around his waist. “Keep kissing me like that and I’ll change my mind about leaving.”

  “No, you won’t, mess,” He whispered, planting a short kiss on the top of her head. “Going to L.A. is who you are. I’m not going to stop you.”

  Julia closed her eyes, and rubbed her cheek against his chest, feeling safer in his arms than she had ever been. His words and his kiss had lifted her spirits. She was still hurting deep inside, but she could gaze upon the future with more optimism. The reason was holding her; she could feel the heat of his body against her skin. She could find many men that looked almost as handsome as Ray, but she doubted if anyone of them would kiss her, comfort her, or understand her like he did. For Julia, being with him was a blessing.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Much to her friends’ and Ray’s frustration, Julia was not good company that night. Unable to stop thinking about her mother’s lie to her, she didn’t resemble at all the smiling woman who loved to play jokes. In her stead, stood an obviously upset redhead that only opened her mouth when necessary, all the while attempting to guess her mother’s motives.

  Later on, when she and Ray were finally alone in his bedroom, the same bitterness that had been gnawing away at her soul prevented her from touching him. Julia’s body might have been eagerly anticipating this night, craving him, but her heart and mind were elsewhere. She wasn’t be able to focus, live for the moment. She knew she wouldn’t enjoy this one bit, and had to reject his advances. Once again, Ray showed her some understanding. He didn’t insist, and kissed her “goodnight.”

  The following morning was the first day at work for the brothers in weeks, conveniently enough for Julia. Ray would be busy, and she had to go back to New York and pack. Without much fuss, Julia, along with Monica, left Paxton and the world of shifters behind her, in the hope that she would come back, knowing the truth that had been kept secret from her for more than a decade.

  “So…” Monica began, as they entered I-87 south. “Have you thought about what you’re going to tell your mother yet?”

  “No, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t ask me that question again,” Julia retorted, gripping the steering wheel tighter, “Let’s talk about something else.”

  “It is really ironic, if you think about it,” Monica claimed, a humorless smile forming on her face, as she leaned her head back in her seat. “Julia Stinson, the girl who grew up fearful of wildlife is actually the daughter of a shape shifter.”

  “I’m human, Mon.” Julia uttered. “Most humans are afraid of anything that could kill them. I’m just part of that majority.”

  “I stopped being part of that statistic, when I started learning about wolves,” Monica pointed out. “That’s when I realized we had no reason to fear them. They, on the other hand, have every reason to shiver at the thought of a human.”

  “I need to quote Kate on this one. ‘You’re a weird lady,’” Julia teased, turning her head to the right to face her.

  “I’m just a little more educated on the matter than you.” Monica countered with a smirk. “But, enough of this. How are things between you and Ray?”

  This question was one of the very few that could put a smile on Julia’s face.

  “Wonderful,” She admitted, returning her gaze to the road up ahead. “He’s been really supportive. He’s very tender, too. He’s also a lot more mature than I gave him credit for. I mean, when I told him I was leaving last night, I was afraid he’d complain about it, but he didn’t. He took it pretty well. And that kiss? Oh, God, that kiss…” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. “It had me shaking. I opened my eyes and I saw stars.”

  No rebuttal followed Julia’s rant. In her heart, she was desperate for her friend’s opinion, but Monica would not indulge her. She lingered in silence, and turned over onto her left side, staring up at her, with a mischievous smile on her face.

  “You have something on your mind. Well, spit it out, you little geek,” Julia inquired, tossing a curious, sideways glance down at her. “Come on. Speak.”

  “You’re head over heels in love with him,” Monica commented, pointing up at her. Julia preferred to keep her mouth shut, pondering response. Still, countering that argument would not be easy. She didn’t even want to rebut. Every sign was there. She didn’t need a prophecy to tell her what she felt deep inside. Ray had been haunting her thoughts for weeks. Her physical attraction to him shifted into something much deeper, when he drove her to his brother’s cabin. And, on the night that he rode all the way to New York, just to prove to her that he wasn’t afraid to take a chance, Ray captured her heart. After that, his face gave her butterflies in her stomach, and a relationship with him became her single focus.

  “Alright, doc, you got me,.” She admitted, nodding at the same time. “I am in love with him.”

  “Three out of three,” Monica said, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Who would have thought?”

  “I
think we should all write a ‘thank you’ note to your ex.” Julia suggested, raising her eyebrow.

  “What for?” Monica asked, as her forehead scrunched up in confusion.

  “For dumping you,” Julia explained, as a devilish grin burst upon her lips. At that, Monica tossed her head back, her mouth bursting open, as her chortle of delight rippled across her stomach. “It would go like this:” Julia continued, biting the insides of her cheeks, trying not to laugh. “Dear Tom, thank you for being a loser. You couldn’t appreciate our girl, but someone else could. Now, thanks to you, all three of us have found someone to rely on. Worst regards, Julia Stinson.”

  “Oh, my God…” Monica shrieked, her body rocking, as she banged her palm against her forehead. “You need to stop.”

  “I’m serious.” Julia claimed, holding in a snort. But, her attempts were futile. The sound of her friend’s hearty laughter was provoking her too much. Julia burst out chuckling, tilting her head back, as her right hand let go of the steering wheel. Putting her fingers over her mouth, she leaned against her seat, as her face flushed with merriment.

  “Well…” Monica sighed, tucking a few tendrils of her hair behind her ear. “It’s nice to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

  “All jokes aside, if you hadn’t divorced him, none of us would have met them.” Julia assumed a more serious tone.

  “Yes, my divorce was a turning point.” Monica agreed. “I’m just glad we all benefited from it.”

  “You couldn’t be more right about that, doc,” Julia thought to herself. “I guess I should consider myself ‘lucky.’ I’ve found what I’ve been searching for, and I’m just 26. I miss you already, Ray.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The bantering between the two friends did not cease, until they arrived in New York City. They both discussed their lives, up until Monica rescued Raul, the differences before and after they entered the world of shape shifters. Julia went on to make more fun of Tom, claiming that she should write a much lengthier letter, explaining to him how much she had wronged her friend, and how better Monica’s life was without him.