by RJ Blain
Once he freed me from the silver cage, he gingerly set it aside. “Come on out of there, Richard. Desmond’s really sorry he’s a pushy asshole. Alex and Amber had to hold Nicolina back because she was about to shoot her father for antagonizing you into running. Unfortunately, they forgot about Lisa, who did shoot at Desmond before smacking him around. When Wendy seemed rather satisfied with the whole situation, I decided to volunteer to track you down and bring you back.”
I crawled out of the hole, flattened my belly to the ground, and whined.
“I’m not stupid, you know. Let’s review the situation. Nicolina’s attacked by worthless mongrels who deserved every little bit of hell Lisa gave them before she killed them. You go from stubborn, energetic, and driving us all insane with your overprotectiveness to lethargic, restless, and completely uninterested in everyone and everything. You still ran the pack the same way as always, but something was different. Your heart just wasn’t in it. You gave away that beautiful plane you had coerced out of Desmond—your pride and joy—and you stopped working on the jet, another prize you had claimed. You, who wasn’t happy unless you were in the air at least once a week, started taking commercial flights exclusively, and only when necessary. You flew yourself maybe three times outside of mandatory practice and test flights to keep your license.”
I wormed my way onto Frank’s lap and stared up at him.
Frank picked leaves and twigs out of my fur.“Fenerec aren’t supposed to be masters of sad dog eyes, Richard. That’s horrible. Look, I knew you treasured Desmond’s devil daughter since the day your parents hit her, and you ripped them to shreds over it. Now, I figured you were wanting to court her, but when she disappeared, I was pretty sure it was more than that. You had every classic symptom of an Alpha male who had lost his mate. It was so bad I was worried you’d suicide.”
Pinning my ears back, I huffed but edged closer to my Third, seeking the comfort of his presence and familiarity.
“So, Nicolina disappeared, Lisa went on a rampage and killed every last one of the mongrels who dared to hurt her sister, and our Alpha became despondent. With a pack as large as ours, that’s a dangerous situation, except Alex shook out dominant enough to kick the asses of most in the pack without thinking about it, likely a result of spending his entire life trying to browbeat a submissive forced into a dominant role. Things worked out, but the pack understands what happened far better than you want to believe, I think.”
I huffed.
“Don’t you huff at me, Richard. Maybe some of the others are stupid, but I’m not. You’ve always needed a woman who could challenge you, and Nicolina’s the only one I know with enough steel in her spine to put up with your shit. Considering she’s also a woman who is willing to kill to save your precious little brother? I figured it was just a matter of time before you cracked and sneaked a nip at her neck.” Frank poked me. “Want revenge on Desmond? Go swim in his koi pond and poke holes in the liner. That’ll teach him to interfere. Sanders won’t mind the extra work this time of year.”
Frank’s phone rang, and my Third sighed before digging it out of his pocket. “Yes, I found him. He’s on my lap whining at me.” There was a long pause, and my Third snorted. “He needs a bath first, but yes, I’m sure he’ll need fed. He’s absolutely filthy. Yes, I’ll bring him to the house. Do try to keep your mate under control this time, please. I don’t want to have to chase Richard down again because he’s nervous and ready to go into orbit. Thanks.”
Hanging up, Frank returned his phone to his pocket. “That was Wendy. Apparently, Nicolina has finished screaming at her father and has realized you’re not with her. Let’s not panic her more than necessary, eh? You’ve got that plucky girl wrapped around your finger.”
I flicked an ear back, wishing I had eyebrows so I could raise them and arms so I could cross them. Instead, I settled for a glare.
“You really don’t believe me, do you?”
While I bared my teeth at my Third, I had no intention of actually biting him. Frank knew it, too; he dug his fingers in the thick fur behind my ear and scratched until I succumbed to the enjoyment of his affection.
“Come on, then. I don’t know about you, but I’m starved, eh? Let’s not leave Wendy’s hard work uneaten—I don’t think the pack would appreciate coming south for our funerals because we upset Desmond’s precious mate.”
When I refused to jump into Desmond’s koi pond, Frank armed himself with the hose to get the muck out of my fur. I warbled so many complaints my mate, Alex, Lisa, and Amber came out to watch—and help pick out the debris from my trip in the woods.
“Isn’t he supposed to be silver?” My mate yanked out a handful of twigs and leaves along with some of my fur. “He’s brown.”
“That’s what happens when a wolf determined to hide goes out in the woods.” Frank blasted me in the rump with a stream of cold water, and I yipped, dodging out of the way. I didn’t get far, since Frank had tied my leash to a tree.
The leash, like the collar and muzzle, seemed completely immune to harm.
“Where’d you find him?”
“Crammed under a tree. There was a lot of pathetic whining involved. I should just let him track mud through Desmond’s house, take him upstairs, and make him change in the bathroom. He could then take a shower. It’d be easier. This is a lot of wolf to clean up.”
“Trust me, it’s a lot of bathroom to clean up, too,” Lisa muttered, jabbing her twin in the ribs. “At least he doesn’t have as much hair as you.”
“She probably doesn’t remember that, Lisa,” Frank murmured.
“I do, a little. Richard looked like a zombie.” Nicolina gave my fur a tug, picking out more debris. “I was mad because he was being a stubborn idiot. All I wanted was a bath.”
Frank laughed. “Yes, you certainly did want a bath. If we work together, we might have him clean in twenty minutes. Amber, I might want your help pushing him through the shift.”
“That bad?”
“I have no idea how much wolfsbane Desmond used.”
“My nose says a lot. He stinks of it,” my brother muttered.
“I can help. Won’t be a problem. He’ll probably be a lot happier as a human, too—at least he’d be able to speak for himself rather than being railroaded so much. If Desmond was trying to get him to fly the coop, he went about it the right way.”
“I merely wanted to keep you all occupied until dinner was ready. I succeeded.”
I wasn’t the only one to yip from surprise.
“You’re all so jumpy. Why is my puppy filthy, Frank? Did you walk him through every mud puddle you could find on the way back to the house?”
“I found him hiding under a tree. Please stop traumatizing my Alpha.”
“I wasn’t traumatizing him; I was ensuring he understood you’d go chase him down and make sure he found his way home. He gets lost easily.” Desmond nudged me with his toe. “Your home is in Yellowknife. You can come hide in my house whenever you’d like, though. That’s how it works. You go back to Yellowknife where you belong, and when you need to escape the busybodies, you bring your pesky Second and my daughters home for a visit. I’ll even ignore the holes in the wall.”
“Why did I decide against murdering my father today?” Lisa muttered.
“Your mother would cry.” Desmond grinned, hooked his arm around his daughter’s neck, and dragged her to him. “It’s going to take more than some holes in my wall to get me to release your Alpha, young lady. You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Dad, why are you being an asshole?”
“It’s one of my few joys in life. I’m doing your pack a favor. You pipsqueaks couldn’t take Richard from me unless every single one of you ganged up to do it. Go ahead and push my buttons, darling daughter. I can yank him right out from under your noses without even working at it.” Desmond smirked and kissed Lisa’s brow before shoving her in Alex’s direction. “Hose Richard down and take him to the bathroom upstairs. Cleaning the bathro
om will give you whiners something to do after dinner. I expect all of you at the table within an hour. The only exception will be if Richard has trouble shifting. Chop, chop. Time’s wasting.”
Frank turned on the hose and sprayed my muzzle, startling a yip out of me. I lunged at my Third, forgot I was leashed, and choked myself in my effort to reach him.
“No murders,” my mate’s father ordered before heading back to the house.
Sometimes, I really hated Charles Desmond.
Shifting hurt, but the process went by a lot faster than I expected, although the effort left me sweating and gasping for air. I suspected Amber had something to do with the speed of my change, as the fire witch nodded her satisfaction while she went to work starting the shower. “I’ll leave you gentlemen to make yourselves presentable. Frank, I’ll bring clothes up for both of you and leave them right inside the door.”
“Thanks, Amber.” Frank waited until the fire witch left before hauling me to my feet and shoving me in the shower. “Get the muck off and try not to fall asleep. I’ll clean up in the meantime.”
“Just let me go downstairs and kill Desmond,” I growled, forced to obey and hating it despite the fact I would’ve willingly done as asked.
“I can’t let you try to kill Desmond, Richard. You’d lose. I’m sorry. You look like hell, by the way. If you use your most dejected, pouty expressions, I bet you’ll rile everyone up in minutes, even Wendy.”
“You could just help me escape out the window.”
“We’re on the third floor, Richard.”
“I’d survive.”
“No, Richard. Once Desmond’s done torturing us all, I’m taking you home where you belong. I will lock you in my basement if you don’t behave. I’m sure the pack would back me. Kelly misses you, and she whines her Second Dad goes away for too long. I don’t like when my puppy whines.”
“Your puppy is an adult, and she only visits you when she wants something.”
“Be nice. You’re coming home, and that’s final.”
Knowing my Third was cleaning up my messes spurred me into rushing through my shower. It took a lot longer than I liked to get clean. When I figured I’d pass inspection, I got out, grabbed a towel, and stuck to one of the spots of floor Frank had already conquered. “Your turn. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Like hell you will. Go dry off, get wrapped into a robe, and don’t even think about getting a speck of dirt on you.”
I growled but obeyed. “What about the clothes Amber is bringing?”
“You’ll be more comfortable in the robe. I only had clothes from the lodge, which I’m pretty sure are too big for you now. You’ve lost weight again. The last thing I need right now is Nicolina realizing you’ve lost at least ten pounds.”
“It won’t make any difference. She doesn’t want me around.”
Frank snorted. “Amber filled me in a little. Until Nicolina’s memory comes back, you’ll have to start from scratch. You know that. Hell, you know it better than anyone else, I bet. She’s not going to reject you. Her and her wolf are invested. You two will be fine. Maybe I should let her see you in clothing too big for you. I’m pretty sure her memories are of you immaculately dressed with perfectly fitted suits. She’ll take one look at you and realize something’s wrong.”
“She had no problems in Vegas.”
“You wore clothes that fit you in Vegas. I know this because Alex complained he had to buy you new clothes. Just wear the bathrobe, Richard. Trust me on this one: bitches are happiest when their males at least look healthy. You do not.”
I grabbed one of the bathrobes hanging from the hook and shrugged into it. “By that logic, I should try to look as pathetic as possible. She’d notice me, then.”
“Stop whining, Richard.” Amber poked her head into the bathroom, sliding a bag inside. “You’re not a teenage virgin, so don’t act like one.”
“He may as well be, Amber. It’s been that long.”
Amber frowned. “That’s a good point. It’s been at least five years. I didn’t think about that. Damned high maintenance Fenerec. It’s bad enough I’m going to have to move to the fucking Arctic, but I’m going to be surrounded by whiny wolves. Fine. I’ll impress upon the whining bitch downstairs she should have at least a little pity on the only damned male I can think of who’d put up with her shit every day and like it.”
Leaving the bag behind, Amber stormed off, spewing enough curses I worried for the safety of everyone downstairs, Desmond included. “I’m not even sure what to say.”
“Let’s begin with the obvious. Amber just informed you she’s moving to the Arctic. I assume she means Yellowknife. Honestly, it’s close enough to the Arctic Circle to be accurate. The only way a fire witch like Amber would move somewhere so damned cold would be if her bonded wolf was planning on moving there.” Frank poked his head out of the shower. “Can you handle the rest of the math from there?”
My wolf appreciated the solution to the formula, but I was far more reserved. “You’re such an asshole, Frank.”
“It’s part of why you keep me around. Who else is going to stand up to you?”
“Alex,” I muttered.
“That’s why he’s your Second, remember? He can make you roll over so much easier. He only calls me in when you’re being more trouble than even he can handle. I’m his secret weapon, and you know it. If I wanted my spot back as Second, I’d take it. Unfortunately for you, I don’t, so you get to be terribly abused by your little brother. Stop whining. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
If I had been given an option in the matter, I would have collapsed in a heap on the couch and skipped dinner. I stared longingly at the living room, but Frank planted his hands between my shoulders and shoved me in the direction of the dining room.
“Don’t even think it, Richard.”
“Can’t you have a little mercy on me?”
“Not today.”
Desmond strolled out of the living room, looked me over, and frowned. “Is he giving you problems, Frank? I thought he was supposed to be getting dressed. That’s a bathrobe.”
“I’m pretty sure the clothes I brought for him won’t fit,” my Third replied, and I grimaced at Frank’s complete disregard for the remnants of my dignity.
My brother made an appearance, clucking his tongue at me. “It’s true. Where are your clothes, anyway? I thought they’d be with you in your rental.”
“I figured if he didn’t have any clothes, he wouldn’t try to escape. I know where they’re at. I thought I’d make you mutts take care of your Alpha properly for a change. Anyway, the ladies are about finished cooking dinner, so get to the table where you belong.”
I sighed. “You’re doing unnecessary things again, Desmond.”
“If they were unnecessary, I wouldn’t be doing them. You’re a whiner this week.”
While I really wanted to lunge the few feet to Desmond and tear into him, I settled with a snarled, “You locked me in your basement. In a silver cage.”
“Dad, if you don’t stop antagonizing Richard, I’m going to come in there.”
Before my mate had bonded with her wolf, it had been much easier to tell the twin sisters apart. If Nicolina also started calling her father Dad, I’d have to rely on my nose to differentiate between the two of them.
“I can put him back in the cage again, Miss Lisa. I’m the bigger wolf on this block. If I put him back in the cage, you better bring your entire pack to get him back, because I won’t let him go until I’m satisfied you mutts are going to take better care of him this time.”
“Dad!”
“Don’t you ‘Dad’ me.” Desmond lashed out, snagged hold of my wrist, and yanked me to him. I tensed, calculating if I’d be able to match him for brute strength. “Don’t you dare fight me, Richard.”
Frank sighed. “Is this supposed to be dinner or a brawl? Lisa, despite how much fun it is watching you snap your teeth at your father, Richard would get stuck in the middle. I think
he’s suffered enough for one week.”
My mate stomped her way out of the kitchen and pointed a spatula covered in tomato sauce at her father. “Keep this bullshit up, and I will electrocute you. Once I’m done electrocuting you, I’ll light you on fire. If that doesn’t teach you your lesson, I’ll shoot you.”
“No murders,” Wendy ordered.
“I won’t kill him. I’ll just make him wish I had.”
When Frank didn’t say a word, Lisa narrowed her eyes and scowled. “So, it’s okay if she threatens Dad, but I can’t?”
“Maybe if your father was threatening Alex instead of Richard, you’d be the appropriate individual to put him in his place.”
I hung my head and groaned, wondering how I’d be able to respect Nicolina’s desire to keep our relationship—and current lack of one—private.
“And she is?”
“Damned fucking straight I am!”
I glanced up in time to watch Nicolina hiss at her sister like a cat.
“You’re a Fenerec, not a tiger, Nicolina Angelica Desmond. Fenerec do not hiss at each other. Growling, biting, and romping around the house are acceptable methods of settling your territorial disputes.” Desmond nudged me with his elbow. “Are you paying attention? They’re fighting over you again.”
“You didn’t manage to kill me in your basement, so you’re going to make your daughters finish the job, aren’t you?”
I regretted the words the instant they left my mouth. After so many years of leading a pack, I should’ve understood the consequences of antagonizing a pair of bickering bitches, especially when I was the subject of their feuding. In my prime, I could have handled one of them and emerged bruised, bitten, but otherwise intact.
Both of them hit me at the same time, and with a yelp, I fell under their combined weight, smacking into the floor where the tiles hit the carpet. To make matters worse, Desmond kept a vice-like grip on my arm, although he likely saved my head from hitting the tiles.
