21. Raul

21

RAUL

I f Helena's rant had sewn the seed of doubt within me, Monica's emotion-filled statements did a thousand times more. It may have only lasted fifteen, maybe twenty seconds, but there was no denying it came straight from her heart. I saw that in her eyes and heard it in her voice. I felt it, too. Her desire and longing for something that most humans—and shifters—took for granted. Life. A good life, full of intense and memorable moments.

Could I offer her that?

I believed so, despite everything. We were getting along very well. And there was no denying that there hadn't been a dull moment so far in our relationship. It was clear that she was enthralled by my world, full of creatures, ideals, and principles that didn't exist among humans. And she accepted every new revelation in stride, without having a nervous breakdown or something, like most humans would have done.

Still, I had to be realistic. Perhaps the fear and danger had her charmed, but we couldn't live like this. Somewhere along the way, she was bound to get fed up with the evil that surrounded me. Hell, I was fed up with it. I had been postponing acting for quite some time. Choosing to turn the other cheek, to continue to tolerate what I knew was wrong because I didn't have a good enough reason to do anything else. She gave me what I had been lacking for years. A reason to live beyond myself and motivation.

Sure, I could argue that my family's safety should have been enough. And it's true, I loved my siblings, but still, I had never acted. Now I couldn't deny it anymore. Outside the occasional fight with Brad which had been enough to hold him off. Those fights had kept him afraid to touch them because he knew that I would act with a vengeance if he did. His fear of me had been the main thing preventing him from engaging me alone. Anytime we clashed he made sure there was someone there to help him. Someone to bear witness and make sure that I didn't destroy him.

Penelope's prophecy had also acted as a wakeup call. I would either fulfill my destiny or die trying. I wasn't sure if I believed that, but one thing I did know for sure. There was no other way for me and Monica to live freely. In my world or hers, it didn't matter, because as long as Brad was in charge, he would not leave us alone and we would be in danger.

Surrounded by the walls of my grandfather's sanctuary, I made my way towards its gate. Helena walked behind me, silent, while the tapping of the bottom of her staff on the flagstones accompanied the sounds of our footsteps. While she appeared calm, cool, and collected, the tremendous pounding of her heart gave away her tension.

I smiled to myself, realizing, perhaps, the most important truth about her. She cared. She may have been staying in the shadows for decades, but this witch did want what was best for me and my family.

Helena snapped her fingers, and the iron gate clanged and shook in response. It slid upwards letting in the mountain air. Outside a torrent of rain was raging across the valley, depriving me of any hint of moonlight. There was the distinct sound of thick raindrops smashing into the dirt. A huge flash of lightning lit up the view, casting the world into black and white until it passed.

Helena had certainly been honest about the whereabouts of this sanctuary. The gate opened out onto the side of a hill overlooking my hometown. Nestled there, deep in the heart of the forest, it was beautiful to behold. Wooden structures stood close to one another, most of them little more than dark shapes. Joe's Bar was the largest building in town and had its neon sign which made it stand out like a beacon in the dark.

"Good luck, firstborn."

Helena's good wish was all the trigger I needed, and I began my transformation. Four or five seconds were all it took for the wolf to take charge. Rainwater hit his paws as he gazed out over the horizon. I knew, and therefore he did, that his target was not in one of those small, neat cabins. Brad had a soft tooth for luxury and those residences would not be good enough for him.

He had selected a prime spot, a few hundred yards west of town. Offering him a bird's eye view of Dawson, where he had all the privacy in the world. In the only house in the area made of concrete where the mighty Brad could keep an eye on his minions.

Locating his residence up on the hill, I tossed my head back. My howl tore through the silence of the night accented by brilliant forks of lightning that made the sky erupt in light. I leaped forward and propelled myself down the hill.

Pricking my ears high as I loped through the forest, I pictured my foe. He was a worthy adversary. Tall, well-built, and a seasoned fighter. He was twelve years older than me and had faced off against other wannabe Alphas. Four before me had attempted to rid Dawson of his oppression. All four of them had perished, although they were evenly matched.

Why and how they had ended up lying dead in the dirt did not matter. The fact remained that Brad had bested them and continued his reign. Where they had failed, I could not. It was up to me to vanquish this plague. Not just for Monica, but for everybody in my hometown who had been tolerating him for too long.

Just outside the forest border, my senses were on high alert. Brad was not beyond the occasional stroll through the wilderness. He liked it just as much as any shifter. To my satisfaction though, his scent wasn't there. I picked up some fainter scents of my people, but it looked like the Alpha hadn't set foot in that part of the woods for weeks. Loping through the bush, my eyes roamed left. I saw the workshop and my family's cabins for a fleeting moment. Memories of the things he and his lackeys had said drifted through my thoughts as I stalked closer.

"I'll fuck her to tears." "I'm going to tear her a new ass."

Sparks of rage shot through my insides at the memory of those foul words. I let off a nasty snarl, burning with determination not to hear them again and to put an end to those who would dare utter them. I would confront one of their two sources that night. Its main source, to be exact. Kenny was a bigmouth, sure, but the truth about him, was that he was Brad's bitch. He did his dirty bidding and copied everything else he did, including throwing insults.

Running past the last trees of the forest, I paused facing the path to the Alpha's house. It continued left and into the town, much too close to "Joe's" bar. For me to head in that direction would be suicide. I wanted a one-on-one standoff with my Alpha, not to face six or seven shifters at once.

I continued up the muddy road, paws getting drenched, drops of water staining the coat of my legs. The ground in front of me hadn't leveled out, so I craned my neck, in an attempt to gaze at the house. The bedroom light upstairs was on, and three separate scents reached my nostrils. Kayla and Siobhan, two of the Omega's in the pack, had been partying with the Alpha. Pheromones and their arousal permeated the air. One more snarl flew out of my mouth as I stepped closer, moving to the front door. I paused and stared at the bedroom window, knowing very well that he would catch my scent.

Ever the predictable fool, Brad didn't bother using his door to get out. The massive head of his wolf smashed through the glass, shattering it to pieces. The rest of him followed the head. Shards and bigger chunks of glass sank into puddles of water as the reddish beast landed on my right with a resounding thump.

I raised my upper lip in a menacing growl as adrenaline surged through my veins. I leaned back onto my haunches and charged forward, Brad leaped up to meet my attack. Our two bodies clashed in the dark as a boom of thunder rocked the valley. My rival's teeth rattled with the force of our impact. He'd attempted to sink his jaws into my shoulder, but I'd twisted away.

A quick move to the right and they snapped shut inches from my ear. His bulk pushed me back and I felt his fur on my paws. Another thrust of his snout scraped the skin under my mouth. A yip of pain left me as he used his weight to try and push me to the ground. And the son of a bitch succeeded. He was turning out to be more agile than I had expected. As I landed on my back in the mud he leapt onto me. His eyes sparkled a light shade of green, but I wasn't going to surrender. Not like this. Not in any way imaginable. There was too much at stake. Monica's safety, most of all.

I rolled away, dodging his aspirations to end me quickly. His rear legs spread over the dirt, and I pounced on him, snarling with ferocity and determination. Again, Brad was quick to react. He rolled onto his back and our front legs locked. My eyes glowed yellow with rage. I snipped at his jaw, trying to get a grip as we rolled over and over.

I pressed down, managing to keep his mouth away from my throat. He thrashed and landed a double kick to my stomach, which sounded like a couple of fists banging into a hard surface. It did nothing to discourage me. Nothing would take my mind off my objective.

Rolling until I was back on top, I looked at him, his reddish fur was soaked in rainwater with chunks of dirt tangled in amongst his fur. A fast thrust of my snout forced him out of my view.

Brad's head was glued back to the mud, his eyes remaining open as my fangs pressed through his fur. Piercing his skin, I sank my teeth deeper. I jerked my head right and left as I felt and tasted his blood coating my teeth and tongue. I clamped harder and his agonizing yips rose above the sound of the rain. He spread his back legs and more of his blood flooded my mouth. Streams of the red substance trailed down either side of his neck but the rain washed it away almost as fast as it flowed. Vapors from his last breath left his nostrils.

"No!"

The high-pitched, feminine voice distracted me and made me look up. Kayla and Siobhan were outside, wrapped together in a blue and a red blanket standing a short distance from the front door. Kayla had pressed her wrist to her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes.

Then Brad made one final whimper and breathed his last. Siobhan didn't show any emotion whatsoever. Glancing at her fallen Alpha first, she then raised her gaze to me.

"We'll notify the pack," Siobhan said, her voice as empty as Brad's lifeless body.

No need for that. It was nothing I couldn't take care of. Standing over the dead body of the Alpha, I eased my head back. Forks of lightning continued to leave their traces through the clouds in the sky as I shut my eyes. A powerful howl rose from my throat and spread throughout the valley. It's echoes satisfying to my ears, I howled for the second time, to confirm my first message to my people. Brad Grayson was no longer the ruler of our land.