8. Raul

8

RAUL

Y earning… that's the only way to describe how Monica left me that night.

Desperate to touch her again, more. Desperate to feel her body heat. Desperate to kiss her in places she had never been kissed and desperate to take her to a heaven of delight.

Those were hopeless dreams because none of them could come true. No matter how much I craved her, no matter the amount of pheromones that oozed from her, she would not, could not, be mine. That could only end in getting her killed. The only way to avoid that fate was for her to stay away from me and me from her.

My brothers might have been waiting for me in Northern Thicket, but I didn't dare to return because there was no hiding her scent on me, they would know and they would tease me mercilessly all night long. But they and their teasing weren't the issue that kept me away. Any shapeshifter could and would smell the same thing and my pack wasn't my biggest fan at the best of times. Such a blatant violation of the rules would undeniably bring about my Alpha's wrath.

Rather than run the risk I chose to stroll through the woods. Under any other circumstances, I would have left this to the wolf. He would get me home faster, not to mention he wouldn't be in danger of getting stuck in the mud. Yet, the wolf wouldn't be able to feel what I had been feeling that night. Monica. Her flesh, her heat, her taste in my mouth.

It was like I had dipped my tongue into a vat of sweet caramel and it was still dripping down my throat. Intoxicating, lush, and indescribably rich, I preferred it over a millionth stride through a forest I had known since childhood. I wanted to savor that taste for as long as possible, postponing its fading away because I knew it would be the last time. Maybe, I hoped, that letting it linger would help me remember what she was like in the years to come. Whenever I'd get lonely, I could bring that memory back to my mind and recall how it felt to touch a real woman.

There were not too many of those in Dawson. In truth, there were too many Omegas to choose from: submissive females, every one of them eager to please. Except it was not due to the feelings in their hearts, but due to their natures. According to them, they were not worthy, which meant they were there to serve the worthy ones. It sounded miserable, and I had seen enough to know it was. A bunch of perfectly good-looking women, acting as if they didn't stand a chance of finding a mate who would value them.

Regardless of my situation with Monica though, another picture was also swirling in my thoughts. The red flash I had seen haunted my thoughts. Unable to explain it, I had already spent hours trying to make sense of it. In the end, there could be only one explanation. Some type of magical creature had selected the Catskills for their next game.

As a kind, we never appreciated witches, warlocks, or wizards. Although we knew that we were a product of witchcraft, we nevertheless considered practitioners greedy and devious. Magic users were deceptive humans who would bend just about anybody to their will to get whatever they wanted from them.

My own family had a history with a witch. My late grandfather had been rumored to have dated a witch in his youth. I remembered asking him multiple times about her. Every time I did though all I managed to do was spoil his good mood. He was a happy man, but, somehow, reminiscing about her always took away his smile. Every time I brought it up, he would look away and speak to one of my brothers instead.

I couldn't let this go. I had to find out more, for the safety of the pack. Had to know if there was something real to bring to the Alpha, which required evidence. I couldn't do this alone, though. If it was a magical creature of some kind, there was too much risk in going alone. I'd have to convince Sam and Ray to follow me back to investigate the woods outside Northern Thicket.

"You're kidding, right?" Sam said, leaning against the bare frame of our next project and sipping a beer.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Is that why you left so early and didn't return?" Ray asked. Too close to the truth. Rather than answer with an outright lie I shrugged noncommittally. "I mean, we all heard the stories about Gramps."

"Yeah, but they were stories," Sam argued. "Not real. I mean, it could be anything. Hell, it could be a UFO for all you know."

"Not UFO anymore," Ray said, shaking his head.

"What does that mean and besides that, who cares?" Sam snapped.

"UAP's, just saying, use the term right," Ray argued.

This was going to build fast and derail the entire point if I didn't stop it now, so I stepped between the two of them. They might be in human form, but I could feel their hackles raising as they prepared to throw down over something so stupid only brothers could justify it.

"Enough," I snapped, my voice low and edging into a growl. "This is important. I can't present this to the Alpha without knowing more. You're right Sam, it could be anything." He snorted and gave Ray an "I told you so look". "But you're right too Ray, they have redefined the terms." Ray gave a sharp hah sound. "But it doesn't matter because this wasn't aerial. It was on the ground. And we need to know. This could threaten the entire pack."

"Fine," Sam acquiesced first.

"Sure," Ray said then drained his beer. "But one rule, we go in wolf."

"I hate to say it, but I agree," Sam said.

"Fine," I agreed.

None of us had crossed paths with a magical creature before and because of that, all our discussions about them had always been full of ridicule. After entering adulthood, whenever terms like "witch" or "wizard" were brought up, we'd all laughed about it. I hoped that would hold. Because if not, this could be a big problem. And I'd rather not have to deal with the Alpha.

And I wasn't going to argue about going in wolf. We would get there faster in wolf form, and we were much stronger than in our human shape. Besides in wolf our speed and endurance would allow us to pull away with safety, just in case. To me, it was a no-brainer. Our safety was paramount. If the wolf could guarantee it, he would be the one in charge.

We stripped at the back of the garage then emerged outside and shifted. Under a starry, moonless sky, three lupines galloped up the hill, our tails swishing behind. Leading our small pack, my wolf yipped, avoiding the thorns of a bush with a jump. A sea of trees filled my line of sight, I barked. I wasn't looking to hide from anybody. On the contrary, I was trying to make my presence known.

Loping around the trees, Sam, Ray and I scanned the forest floor. Leaves, scattered pieces of brush, parts of twigs, and small bushes comprised a rather dull picture. A mere look up at the massive trees eliminated any question of what I had seen. I hadn't been mistaken. There was someone in the woods. On a thick branch of a balsam fir tree, dressed in a black cloak, a redheaded woman with a staff in her grasp was making direct eye contact with me.

"Pups will always be pups…" Voice and color together confirmed my suspicions. Her voice was feathery, only this time, dripping with irony. With a snap of her fingers, she was gone from the tree, and in an instant, she was five feet away on my side. "Let's see if you've got the heart to take me on, cowards."

The word alone was enough to have driven the three of us berserk. We didn't respond well to insults, much less an open challenge. Snarls and growls rose from our throats and quick strides sent us right into her path. Teeth flashed white in the dark, rattling together as my beast reached her first.

She raised her staff in front of her, but the witch didn't exhibit any signs of fear. The stick hiding her small nose, she smiled and a moment later a red glow engulfed the stick from top to bottom. She gave a minor huff as she thrust it towards me. It struck me on my snout and even my heavy figure was unable to withstand the blast.

I flew back across the forest floor. My view changed from treetops to muddy ground and back as I tumbled. I slammed down into the mud far from my intended target and kept rolling further across the forest floor until my head came to a rest inches from the roots of an elm tree.

"Hotheads are always ready to pounce," she mocked, wearing a sarcastic smile. "You pups never cease to amuse me."

One glance around was all it took to see that my brothers had suffered a similar fate to mine as I rose to my feet and growled.

"Shift, Crawford boys," she commanded. She had a serious expression and her voice was demanding. "I am done playing games with you. There is much we need to discuss."

I was ready to pounce but her statement gave me pause. Discuss? That was a surprise. The witch's intent had seemed much worse. She had overpowered all three of us without barely lifting a finger.

"Do it," she commanded, raising her voice. When none of us obey she rolls her eyes and sighs. "Do not be afraid. I'm not here to harm you."

She maintained continuous eye contact with me and her milder expression made me think she was being honest. Perhaps it was time for the wolf to hide back under my human suit. Fighting her certainly hadn't been going well for us. I shifted back, spotting a tall bush not far to my left. I took a few, sideways steps to help hide my nudity.

"Ah, Raul…" She laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Don't you worry? I've seen it all before."

"You know my name?" I asked as I squinted at her. The witch moved towards me without any apparent concern as to my dangerousness or nudity.

"I know all your names," she said, glancing over at Sam. "Samuel, you are the second son. Raymond…" She turned her gaze to him, "you are the third." She looked around with a thoughtful expression before adding. "Where is your sister?"

"She's out of town," I answered. "And you still haven't said who you are or how you know us."

"It's Helena, first born. Helena van Zant," she introduced herself. "And I come to you tonight because your family is in great peril."

"Elaborate," I demanded, suppressing a growl in my growing confusion.

"Not out here," she refused, shaking her head. "Your enemies are swift; you share the same powers as them. Samuel, Raymond, come. We need to leave."

"Leave? How?" Sam wondered, gazing beyond Helena. "I don't see any cars around."

"Cars…" She snorted in amusement. "We do not need an automobile, my dear Samuel. Only I can take you to the place I have in mind. Now…" She held her arms out to the side. "Hold hands. Come on, everybody."

My brothers and I exchanged cautious glances. We all shared the same concern. Standing alone in the woods with one of the almost mythical creatures we had been brought up to avoid, not to mention that she had overpowered us with relative ease.

What else did she have in store for us? Despite the obvious concerns, however, her words intrigued me. And there was also that after her initial demonstration of power, she hadn't attempted to kill any of us. Even when we fought, she was pulling punches. I did not think we had seen anywhere near the full strength she could bring to bear.

I made my decision, and reached forward, believing that she was being honest. Sam and Ray followed my example which put a smile of satisfaction on her face. She held her staff in her free hand and struck the bottom end against the ground. I had a strange sense of déjà vu as a red light flashed and then spread around the stick. The light expanded outwards encircling us. Nervous, I looked around, seeing the world beyond cast in an eerie, almost evil glare. The energy swirled around us and then shot up way over my head. The red faded into white, then flashed so bright I had to close my eyes against it.