“Boys, I just received word!” She said, her voice riddled with panic, her breath coming in gasps. “Marianne McIntyre is at your property! She has set fire to your workshop!”
Fistfuls of rage lit up in their faces, as their gazes met. Dean did not have to hear Raul say that his view on the matter had changed. The witch had set foot in his town, and had caused them harm. Destroying the Alpha’s business was a pack issue, punishable by death. Now, each and every wolf in the pack would definitely be involved.
“Can’t you just take them there?” Monica squeaked, joining them in the room.
“I’m afraid not.” Helena replied, lightly shaking her head in disappointment, as the beasts peered out of Dean and Raul’s eyes. “My energy is spent. I could barely take myself there.”
“Open the gate.” Raul snarled, whipping around, as a guttural growl rose up from Dean’s throat. He started behind his brother, sensing the wolf’s unease deep inside him. The beast was desperate to get out and wreak havoc in its path. But, as he turned left down the corridor, a light touch on his wrist forced him to stop. It was Kate. The tears that had pooled in her eyes, as well as her quivering lips sent his heart into a downward spiral. She didn’t give a chance to address him. Instead, she tilted her head up, and then pressed her mouth against his, as she raised both hands to cup his face.
“Go,” she said, her voice a soft, breathless whisper. “Be careful out there. Do what you have to do.”
Her last sentence gave him the approval he so much needed, shredding any hint of doubt he still had about engaging Marianne. Apparently, Kate had not forgiven her mother for her act of abandonment.
The sound of hard rain, whipping against the ground, filled his ears, as he approached the opening gate. Raul was already outside, in wolf form, sweeping the valley that spread out before him. Within seconds, both of their gazes were locked on their burning workshop, just beyond the edge of the forest. Smoke was rising high above and between the roofs of their cabins, as the flames leaped up into the air.
“Destroy.”
Dean’s eyes assumed a sparkling shade of orange, at the urge of the wolf inside him. Claws sprang from the edges of his fingers and toes, as his legs thinned and shortened. His hips reshaped and narrowed, as his nose was replaced by a muzzle. His brown fur sprung from the top of his ears, just before Raul’s wolf threw his head back. The Alpha’s raging howl resounded through the valley, as thick rain drops dripped down the thin fur on his muzzle. Jolting forward, the two wolves began loping down the mountainside, parallel to one another, their huge paws sinking into the mud as they did. Dean could feel the desire to tear that witch to pieces eating away at his soul. The brothers’ workshop was more than just a job. They had set it up, a long time ago, piece by piece, all by themselves, without any outside help at all. It was filled with memory, both good and bad, serving as a shrine of their passion for motorcycles. The fire to it was not an act of intimidation on Marianne’s behalf. It was an act of war.
Ears ticked high, tails swishing out behind them, the two lupines crossed the forest line. Foul smells, much stronger than the scent of balsam fir tree filled their nostrils: burning wood, gasoline, and oil. Dean’s eyes glinted darker with rage, as Raul let out yet another, fierce growl that would scare the life out of anyone unfortunate enough to be close to him. Loping through the trees, the Bradford brothers were making up history, as they neared their home. A terrible question crossed Dean’s mind, one that made his stomach chill with fear. Where were Ray and Melissa? He couldn’t see them; the thick vegetation that surrounded him rendered that impossible, but he couldn’t smell them, either. Maybe the awful scents had masked theirs; he didn’t know. All he did know, was that they had to find them, and fast.
Brilliant forks of white lightning crackled through the atmosphere, causing the ground to rumble beneath their paws, as the sky above them erupted in light. Mother Nature had just assisted them in pinpointing Marianne’s exact position, as they climbed the short hill at the edge of the woods. She was standing in front of their burning workshop, cloaked in deep purple. Both Dean and Raul raised their lips in a terrifying grimace, hurtling towards the witch, as their gazes met hers. Marianne twisted her arms so that her palms faced up, as an evil smile formed on her face. Two, bright balls of fire sprang up, and seemed to be floating above her palms, as the two brothers closed in on her. She gave a malicious grunt, tossing the fireballs down at them, as her blue eyes blackened in anger. The two wolves lowered their heads and their spines, as the fireballs flew over them, singeing only the tip of Dean’s tail. A weak, burning sensation was not going to deter him. He was out for blood. But, Marianne was a formidable adversary. The two lupines were less than fifteen feet away from her, when she thrust both of her arms forward, palms facing them. In the blink of an eye, a massive force lifted them off the ground. Their bodies were violently sent backwards, as Marianne’s smile widened into a grin. Agonizing yips ripped through the air, as they landed hard on their sides. Dean felt the pain tearing through him, searing his mind, as he rolled over and over. Raul’s body stopped, just a few yards behind him.
“You filthy little dogs,” Marianne growled, jerking her head in a spasm of fury, as she started towards them. “Where is my daughter? What have you done with her?”
Neither of them was willing to give up just yet. The witch’s insult fueled their desire to destroy her even further. Dean bounced back up, as a feral snarl rattled in his chest. All the same, just as he readied himself for another attack, the all-too-familiar, red plume of smoke that shot down to Marianne’s left forced him to tear his gaze away from her. Gripping her staff tightly, Helena pointed it at her rival, as her red eyes darkened.
“Stay away from my boys, you murdering bitch!” She spoke through gritted teeth, thrusting her staff towards Marianne, as a loud explosion rocked the workshop, shattering the window in the middle. Kate’s mother squealed in terror, as the powerful shockwave sent her flying across the yard. She landed flat and hard on the windscreen of Dean’s truck, cracking it, before banging her head against it. Narrowing her eyes, Helena watched, as Marianne’s body rolled down the hood. Finding herself lying on her back, her rival looked up at her. The same, evil smile on her face reappeared, as she threw her arm up, palm facing Helena. A wave of fear washed over Helena’s face, as her staff was ripped out of her grasp. Marianne used the stick to pull herself up, as a sense of despair hit Dean’s wolf.
“I’m certain you can understand the futility of attacking me.” She smirked, as the two wolves gathered around Helena. “There’s an abandoned house, up on the hill outside Paxton. Tomorrow night: 9pm; bring me my daughter, or I will scorch your precious little town to the ground.”
With a snap of her fingers, the mighty witch vanished into thin air, leaving the Bradford brothers in shock and awe, and Helena staring into the void…
Chapter Twenty
Shifting back into human form, Dean and Ray rushed off to their cabins, searching for fire extinguishers. Alas, despite their hastiness, they soon realized that there was not much they could salvage. Their workshop was in ruins. Almost each and every plank of wood had turned to ash; the ones that hadn’t were charred and could not be used again. However, a forest lay on their doorstep. Wood was in ample supply. The motorcycle that Raul and Ray had started working on the day before, and the expensive equipment used for the business – such as the motorcycle lift – had been utterly destroyed and would be hard to replace. The only things that survived the fire in the shop, were the tools, hanging on the walls. However, the ones in tool sheds were useless, as the sheds in question were plastic. It was simply impossible to separate the tools from the molten material.
A few minutes after their encounter with Marianne, Ray’s truck roared into the driveway. At the sight of it, Dean recalled his brother’s harsh words:
“She’ll kill us all.”
He knew him well. Ray would get ironic. He loved to be ironic. It was more than just
likelihood. The argument that would follow would be as heated as it would be pointless. What would be the purpose of them fighting over something that had already been done?
Dean leaned his back against the driver window of his truck, as Ray and Melissa moved around his vehicle, staring up at the smoldering remains of their workshop.
“Dear God…” Melissa whispered in disbelief. “What happened?” She asked, stopping beside Dean.
“Kate’s mother is alive.” Helena informed, as her slow footsteps brought her closer to the siblings. “This disaster was her doing. She wants us to hand Kate over to her, or she’ll destroy our town.”
“Alive?” Melissa let out yet another whisper, glancing up at Dean first and then back down at Helena. “She did this?”
“Yeah,” Dean dipped his head down once, bringing his gaze to her face. “Will you do me a favor? Kate and Monica are up in grandpa’s sanctuary. Could you go pick them up?”
“Yeah: sure,” Melissa said with a nod.
“My keys are in the ignition,” Ray murmured, stopping beside Dean, as he folded his arms across his chest.
“Come on, say it,” Dean urged, throwing a quick, sideways glance down at him. “I told you so.”
“Our business just got fried, brother,” Ray’s tone was unexpectedly serious, as Melissa drove off in his truck. “Gloating is the last thing on my mind right now.”
“I’m going to rip that whore’s throat out!” Raul barked out, jogging towards them, his eyes still alight with rage. “I’m calling a meeting with the pack.”
“A meeting; for what?” Helena wondered, as the Alpha brushed past her.
“A battle plan,” Raul explained, his voice stiff. “What else?”
“Mindless pup…” she hummed, clenching her jaw, as she shut her eyes.
“Mindless?” Raul snorted in derision. “Why do you say that?”
“Because: it’s the truth!” Helena yelled, the thick nerve in the middle of her forehead bulging as her eyes snapped open. “Do you really think more bodies will ensure your victory? Think again! She just defeated you! And me! We’re lucky she didn’t find Kate here. She would have killed us.”
“What are you suggesting?” Dean asked, his voice coming out drowsy, but waiting for her answer with bated breath.
“Stealth,” she was quick to respond. “I don’t have a plan yet, but rest assured, boys: Going up against her head-on is not the way to dispose of this witch. She is much too powerful; she will destroy you, before you can say ‘hi.’”
“So much for strength in numbers,” Dean heaved a long, heavy sigh, dropping his gaze down to the ground.
“You look like beaten dogs.” Helena remarked, reaching forward to tip his chin up. “Don’t lose your nerve, Dean. Ok, we lost this battle, but the war is still up for grabs.”
“I just can’t imagine how we can win it.” He said, his voice dropping down an octave, as he rolled his gaze up to meet hers. It was in that moment that he recalled her words to Marianne:
“Stay away from my boys.”
It wasn’t just her statement that put a smile on his face, though. Helena’s timing was impeccable. Had she not showed up, Marianne would have killed him and Raul.
“Thank you,” he croaked, nodding at the same time. “You saved our lives.”
“Don’t mention it,” she smiled. “I know I can be a little annoying sometimes, but I care about you.”
“Can we focus on the problem at hand?” Raul requested in frustrated tones. “How can we take her out? Sneak up on her?”
“Bad call,” Dean commented, pursing his lips. “She was looking our way, before we even laid eyes on her. We were up on that hill; she couldn’t have seen us. She couldn’t have heard us, either. The rain was too strong.”
“She smelled you,” Ray finally spoke his mind; his conclusion was the only one that made sense. But, at the sound of it, disappointment unfurled in Dean’s chest. The fact that Marianne possessed a super sense of smell complicated things. How could they possibly use stealth, if she could smell them from a mile away? Before Dean could express his concern though, the distinctive noise of tires, skidding along the driveway distracted him. Kate literally popped out of the car, her gaze locked on him, as the more restrained Monica bid her time in getting out of the truck. In fact, Kate pushed Helena out of her way in her eagerness, as she hurtled towards him.
“Let’s give them some privacy.” Raul suggested, as Kate jumped onto Dean. He held out his arms, and grabbed her in midair, as she threw her own arms around his neck.
“God, I’m so glad you’re alive.” She sighed in relief, holding him tight, as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“It’s great to see you again, my Siren.” He whispered, closing his eyes, as he interlocked his fingers over her back.
“Where is she?” Kate inquired, lazily leaning back. “Did she say anything about me?”
“She wants to see you.” Dean said, as he eased her down on the ground. “She threatened to destroy the whole freaking town, if we don’t meet with her tomorrow night.”
“I can’t believe that woman.” She huffed in exasperation, shaking her head. “She walked out on me, and now, she wants me back? Why would she do that?”
“That is unclear,” a glint of amusement came into his eyes, as Helena interrupted them. Dean bit his lower lip to cover his attempt at not laughing. He would not complain to her again, especially after having saved his life. “But we cannot take any chances. We must prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
“I know what that is,” Kate spoke, her voice a fear-ridden whisper, as she turned around to face her. “I’ve been thinking. My mom and I had our differences, back in the day. Nothing too bad, though. Most kids face the same issues with their folks, while growing up. You know, ‘don’t be late or you’re grounded’, ‘don’t wear short skirts in school’, stuff like that. She loved me. Why would she try to kill me? I mean, it doesn’t make any sense.”
“We can only speculate, Kate. But, I’m afraid that is not the worst-case scenario, at least not for me.” Helena assumed a businesslike tone, her face hardening as she strolled towards them. “She could take you, and then try to murder Dean and his family. But, like I said, we should steer clear of speculation. Let us join the others. We have a strategy to discuss.”
The place of their meeting with Marianne popped into his mind, as they made their way towards his siblings and Monica. It was very dear to him, for more reasons than his brother’s triumph over their old Alpha. Ever since Raul defeated Warrick, it had become Dean’s personal refuge, the place where he could be alone with his thoughts, away from any prying eyes. Everything in him rebelled at the thought that it could become his or Kate’s burial ground, but he could still not come up with a solid plan, one that would ensure their victory over the witch. He would have to rely on his family and Helena.
“Alright,” The witch drew in a sharp breath, as everyone else formed a circle around her. “Warrick’s former residence is a cliff house. There is only one way in, and one way out. Are there any suggestions?”
“You mentioned stealth.” Raul was the first to speak. “We could put me and Dean on the first floor. If things go south, we jump out the window, and take her out.”
“Not bad,” Helena’s voice was deep, with a hint of change behind it. “There’s just one little problem. Marianne may cast a protection spell on the building, if she hasn’t done that already. You won’t be able to get in or out.”
“Damn it…” Raul snarled, smacking his fist into his palm.
“Can you do something about our scents?” Dean asked the most vital question, feeling his heart pounding like a drum, as he leaned over her.
“I can hide them.” She emphasized with a firm nod. “But Marianne is smart. She’ll be expecting that. Remember, boys and girls. She wants to meet with her daughter. Tricking her will only provoke her wrath. I suggest we all stay back, and watch from a safe
distance.”
“What?” Dean exclaimed, his brows popping up. “Kate can’t go there alone! How are we supposed to help her from fifty feet away?”
“There’s something else you need to remember, my dear Dean.” Helena said, as a guileful smile spread across her face. “Marianne may be powerful, but Paxton is my realm. I am the master of wildlife in here, not her. Kate will be safe, but, should things go south, I have a trick up my sleeve, one that even Marianne will not see coming.”
“Animals?” Raul interjected, rubbing his jaw. “Which ones?”
“Each and every one of them.” Helena emphasized once more, the confidence in her tone somewhat surprising Dean. “Look, it’s been a long night. You should go get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty One
The fight between him, Helena and Raul was still swirling in Dean’s mind, as he and Kate strolled back to his cabin. A proud wolf like him hated the notion of defeat; it was a sign of weakness. Nevertheless, something else hurt his pride even more than the loss of their shop: it was the way Marianne had beaten him and his brother both. The outcome of every fight they had been in so far had been determined by muscle and tooth. Brute force had secured wins over their rivals. This time though, sheer physical strength had not availed them. Naturally, Dean’s confidence was shaken. Furthermore, Helena’s strategy had baffled him. He could not fathom that he would merely observe, as Kate faced Marianne. In his opinion, he should be closer: much closer. He still believed that his girlfriend’s mother was behind her murder attempt in the alley. Leaving Kate alone like that would jeopardize her life, even though Helena had assured him that she would not allow any harm to befall her.
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