Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 4

by R. J. Blain

  Giving my bag a frustrated kick, I shoved it out of the way as I went to poke my head into the bathroom. Three or four could fit in the jacuzzi with room to spare. I turned to face Richard. “Define the limits.”

  Richard yawned again, his brown eyes half-lidded. “Don’t burn my lodge down or kill someone.”

  Drawing a deep breath, I leaned against the wall and wondered what to do. Since we’d been rescued, I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Richard at all, let alone in private. The two times he’d been awake was when he had been combing out my hair and when we’d been packing the SUV for the trip to Yellowknife.

  Both times, he had looked so tired and worn I hadn’t been able to bring myself to say anything to him at all.

  Maybe I didn’t like him, maybe he made me angry, maybe just the thought of him chasing after my sister made me want to hit him, but without him, I would have lost one or both of my parents at the airport. I still didn’t understand why he had spared me when he had turned on his parents, killing them.

  Flushing, I mumbled, “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Helping my parents at the airport. For not eating me.”

  Richard rolled onto his back and sighed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “For helping my parents?” I demanded, glaring at him.

  “I meant for what happened after Christmas. That was all my fault. I… you didn’t deserve to get dragged into my family problems. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault they were batshit crazy!”

  “They would have killed you,” he snarled, his eyes turning yellow. “They hit you. I could have killed you.”

  “That’s stupid. You didn’t eat me. You didn’t hit me. Why are you apologizing for something you didn’t even do? However, I will pay you back for that rabbit, Richard. That was disgusting.”

  Richard’s face flushed red. “If it wasn’t for me, you never would have gone through that!”

  Crashing his Porsche had horrified me, but how limp and near-death he had been in his parents' SUV had been worse. No one deserved the abusive way they treated him, no matter how much he pissed me off for looking at my sister. My face burned at the memory of kissing Richard in order to convince his parents we were courting or already mated.

  Worse, for a heart-pounding moment, I desired him, wanting him for myself.

  Once again, the thought of my sister being the one with him made me all the angrier. “You were not the problem. They were.”

  Richard groaned and draped his arm over his eyes. “If it hadn’t been for me, you never would have been in that situation in the first place. I’m sorry.”

  “Fine, you’re sorry,” I snapped, the heat in my cheeks spreading down my neck. “If you’re sorry, you won’t go near my sister. Got it? She’s off limits. You can’t have her.”

  Rolling over, Richard got to his feet and stalked towards me. I stiffened, my breath catching in my throat as he reached out, lifted my chin, and forced me to look him in the eyes. “Maybe your sister isn’t the one I want,” he growled.

  Richard sucked in a breath and jumped back, the back of his legs bumping against the bed. His eyes widened as though I had slapped him when I hadn’t moved at all. Sinking down onto the mattress, he let out a low, pained groan. “Shit.”

  If he didn’t want my sister, who did he want?

  Realization crashed down on my head and left me breathless. The only other candidate was me.

  I opened my mouth to deny the possibility, but I couldn’t force out a single word. It was impossible. I had crashed his prized Porsche. Because of me, he had gotten into several fights with my father, resulting in him almost dying.

  He hated me as much as I hated him, and he had every reason to.

  Clinging to the way he always annoyed me, especially when he paid attention to my sister, I recovered enough to snap, “Bullshit.” I took two steps forward, placed my hands on his shoulders, and gave him a shove. “My sister’s off limits.”

  Without fighting me at all, Richard fell back on the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed, and as he had in the car, he went limp. My anger crumbled to anxiety. I circled the bed so I could reach out and touch his neck to check his pulse.

  His heart was beating far too fast.

  “Richard? Are you okay?”

  “You think I want your sister?” he blurted.

  I bristled, checking his heart rate again to be certain he wasn’t about to fall over dead. “She’s sophisticated, beautiful, and smart. She does everything right. Of course you want my sister.”

  “Let me make one thing clear, Miss Desmond,” Richard murmured, his voice soft and deep. I recoiled, but before I could make my escape, he grabbed hold of my wrist. I sucked in a breath. Like his father, Richard was strong. While he refused to let me go, he didn’t squeeze in the same bruising, frightening way. “You have the wrong idea.”

  “What do you mean by that?” I demanded, balling my free hand in a fist, considering how hard I could smack him without hurting his neck. If I aggravated the injury—or broke it again—my father would skin me for a wall hanging.

  “Your sister is hunting me,” he replied, lifting my hand. As he had with my sister on introduction, Richard brushed his lips against the back of my hand. “Maybe I’m the one who isn’t interested.”

  I shivered at the warmth of his breath on my skin. “Bullshit.”

  Ever since my father had started bringing Fenerec home for introductions, all of them had been interested in my sister. If they failed to catch her attention, they made their advances on me as a second-best option. I couldn’t believe Richard was any different. Lisa had been beyond beautiful in her green dress, playing the role of the werewolf bride without flaw.

  I couldn’t wear dresses like she could; when I tried, I felt awkward and uncomfortable. When someone took pictures of us, she smiled for the camera while I scowled. There was no contest.

  “And why is that bullshit?”

  I tried to pull my hand free, but he held me in a firm grip. Flipping my hand over, he massaged at my palm with his thumbs.

  Clenching my teeth, I hissed, “I already told you why. I’m not stupid. You keep looking at her. All you’d have to do is ask her.”

  Richard’s eyes brightened to a sun-bright gold. “I’m looking at you right now.”

  “Yeah, well. I’m used to that—second best, last resort, the discards, and all that shit,” I snapped, pulling in my effort to free my hand from his hold. “You’re just like the rest.”

  “Oh? You leave rattlesnakes and silver daggers for all the males who court your sister?” Richard didn’t let me go, instead pulling until I was forced to lean over the bed or fall over.

  “No, the others just didn’t waste so much time heading up to her room.” I shook with anger and annoyance. Maybe if my sister hadn’t been so quick to let Fenerec nip her neck, I wouldn’t have gotten caught up with the four she had rejected last year. “And at that point, it’s too late because she’s enjoying herself far too much.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll both be waiting a very long time if that’s what you’re hoping for.”

  “I’m hoping you’ll get the fucking hint and not go anywhere near her,” I hissed.

  How he did it remained a mystery, but in the time it took me to blink, he wrapped an arm around my waist, flipped me over him onto the bed, and rolled. I ended up flat on my back, Richard’s fingers pressed to my lips. “Then let me make a proposal, Miss Desmond.”

  I should’ve screamed, but it stuck in my throat at the thought of my mother, father, and Frank bursting in when Richard wasn’t actually doing anything to me. I stared at him with wide eyes. “What?” I squeaked.

  “You don’t want me near your sister, correct?”

  I flexed my hands, trying to decide how to inflict the most harm to Richard without facing my father’s wrath for it. “Amazing. You have basic comprehension skills.”

  “To begin, I’d like to mention I have not touched your siste
r.” When Richard narrowed his eyes and smiled, I shivered, wondering what he was up to. It had to be a trick of some sort, another game Fenerec loved playing. “I prefer a challenge.”

  “A challenge,” I echoed.

  Removing his fingers from my lips, Richard brushed away my hair from the side of my face where his father had struck me. “A challenge,” he confirmed. “Someone who isn’t afraid to try to do the impossible after someone’s told her it can’t be done. Someone audacious, spirited, and capable of standing as an equal, not as a conquest.” He paused, smirking at me. “Maybe someone a little more than my equal. Of course, beauty is a must, as is intellect and street smarts. It wouldn’t do to have to worry about my mate whenever she crossed the street. Someone who likes fast cars would be nice, but she’d have to be able to drive as well as I do.”

  “You live in some dream world, don’t you?” I accused, flushing again over how I had crashed his Porsche—and Sanders’s van. “Where are you going to find a woman like that? No wonder you’re single. No one like that exists. Why are you chasing after my sister? She can’t even drive yet.”

  “If you don’t want me going near your sister, I guess you’ll just have to keep me too busy to have time to court her, won’t you?” he murmured, flicking the tip of my nose with his finger.

  I scowled, tilting away from him to dodge his second flick. “What do you mean by that?”

  “You’re taking business-related courses at Stanford. I’m a businessman. You can help me catch up on my work. You can get some real-life experience, legitimate experience you can use on your resume or as part of your university credits if applicable.” I flushed as he ran the tips of his fingers along my cheek and down my jawline. “If I’m too busy making sure you aren’t trying to ruin me, how will I be able to pursue your sister?”

  “You bastard,” I hissed, though I had to acknowledge his suggestion had merit.

  My father spoke of Mr. Murphy with respect, which meant Richard had to be good at what he did, whatever that was. I hadn’t cared enough to find out.

  Richard smirked. “Just be glad I’m not like other Fenerec, Miss Desmond. They’d desire a lot more from you than that. But you know all about that, don’t you?”

  My face burned at the memory of pressing my lips to his in the cabin to convince his parents we were a couple. “Jerk,” I grumbled. “How long?”

  Richard’s smirk widened into a grin. “Until you leave Yellowknife. That’s all. If your father makes me return to Seattle, your sister will be very, very safe from me. I keep my word.”

  Suspicious, I sat up and glared at him. “Fine. If you swear you won’t touch my sister, I’ll help you with your stupid work.”

  “Deal.” Smirking at me, he added, “Next time, you should remember to phrase your bargains very, very carefully. While I said I wouldn’t touch your sister, I never said I wouldn’t touch you. I think you like me.”

  “Bullshit,” I hissed, flushing as I realized he was right; I hadn’t even considered him hunting me.

  “Fortunately for your sister, but unfortunately for you, I don’t settle for the second-best of anything.” Lifting his arm, he slid his hand behind my neck, tangling his fingers into my hair. I tensed, holding my breath. His thumb stroked the side of my throat, and I shivered at his touch. I should’ve told him to stop, but compared to the other Fenerec who got close to me, he was gentle. “I’m going to look forward to every moment of this. But, it’s late. If I’m going to have you for the entirety of your stay in Canada, Miss Desmond, I want you at your absolute best.”

  I didn’t like how Fenerec touched my neck with their hands or their teeth. Richard’s thumb found a particularly sensitive spot, and I sucked in a breath. Instead of the zapping jolt I expected, the one that made it impossible for me to resist werewolves, every muscle in my body relaxed all at once. Richard eased me down until my head rested on the pillow.

  “Good night,” he murmured, untangling his hand from my hair as I fell prey to sleep.

  In Hot Water

  What should have been a relaxing side trip to the mountain springs lands Richard in hot water.

  I came within about five seconds of losing all self-control with Nicolina. While she slept, easy prey to my wolf and my touch, I paced the room, wondering how I was going to keep my hands to myself the entire way home.

  The way she had melted under my hands made my desire to officially claim her as my mate even stronger.

  If she truly hated me, she never would have responded to me. My wolf never would have been able to influence her. If my wolf—if I—didn’t already consider her our mate, I would have done a lot more to her than make her relax and fall asleep. I hadn’t even meant to, which made it even worse.

  It was a trick mates could use on each other, something I shouldn’t have been able to do at all.

  When her father and mother found out, they really were going to kill me, assuming Nicolina didn’t first. As always, she didn’t fear me, which pleased my wolf, even when she was furious at me for something I wasn’t even guilty of.

  Why would Nicolina believe, even for a second, I desired her sister? I couldn’t imagine quiet, obedient, and unambitious Lisa Desmond satisfying me or my wolf.

  Like a moth lured to flame, my mate kept drawing me closer until I couldn’t escape her even if I wanted to, which I didn’t. Groaning, I sank down on the empty bed, wondering what I would do.

  Once I was home, there were lots of ways I could get some distance until my wolf and I settled and calmed. I could evict her and her parents to the lodge and make my escape to my house, which was hidden so deep in the woods even Desmond would have difficulty hunting me down without help—help he wouldn’t receive, not while he was in my territory. I could, alternatively, have Frank escort her to my house to stay with the other Normals until after the full moon before sending her to the lodge while I worked.

  If I was the only one trapped in the mating bond, she wouldn’t even notice I was gone. If she had somehow accepted me, we were both in trouble, and a lot of it. If she had accepted me, her body would crave mine, especially with the winter rut about to begin. It was a problem mated pairs faced often.

  Separation hurt. I’d never mated before, but when she was away from me, I longed for her.

  It would be trouble I would embrace happily, although I had no idea how I would explain what had happened to anyone. Courtships weren’t supposed to work that way. The physical contact and the elevated emotions during sex sealed the mating bond.

  No matter how much I wanted her, I hadn’t touched her; she had been the one to kiss me, taking both me and my wolf completely by surprise. She had been gentle and inquisitive, and I wanted to find out if I could lure her into a second time.

  I needed to be patient, which ranked last in what I wanted at the moment. I had never desired a woman as much as I desired Desmond’s daughter. Sighing, I rose and resumed my pacing, wincing at the ache in my neck. Rubbing it didn’t help; I hadn’t changed since Wendy had forced me to become a human, and unlike most injuries, broken necks took a long time to heal.

  I closed my eyes, drew a steadying breath, and concentrated on my pack. While faint, I was aware of them in my head. One by one, I checked on them, letting them soothe both me and my wolf. All of them were asleep, which made it easier for me to focus on them.

  In slumber, with the bonds as weak as they were, they wouldn’t notice my transformation, so long as I kept quiet enough not to wake Frank in the adjacent room. Retreating to the bathroom while muttering curses, I embraced my wolf. It was a slow process, made worse by the stabbing agony lancing down my spine, but I got through it. I shuddered, and it took a long time for me to stand.

  My wolf and I were too tired to change into our smallest form, but I had enough control to limit my size to around a hundred and fifty pounds, which I considered an accomplishment under the circumstances. Groaning at the ache in my neck and back, I limped to my mate’s bed, jumped on it, and settled at her feet, poin
ting my nose in the direction of the door so I could guard her through the night.

  “What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Frank demanded, waking me from a sound sleep.

  Nicolina shrieked in surprise and dismay; her feet cracked into my shoulder before bouncing off my neck. It hurt enough I couldn’t even yip, and by the time I was able to shake off the aftershocks of the pain, Frank had me by the scruff.

  “You stubborn…”

  My mate growled something incoherent. I caught a glimpse of white before she drew a deep breath, howled her fury, and proceeded to beat Frank with her pillow. Her wordless cry summoned her father and mother, who crowded in the doorway to watch.

  “What in the hell is going on here?” my mate’s father demanded.

  Frank dodged Nicolina’s pummeling. She pursued him off the end of the bed by crawling over me, whacking him as she drove him towards the door. I crossed my paws and rested my muzzle on them, yawning while I wondered why my Second was so riled up.

  “Sorry, Nicolina! I didn’t mean to wake you,” Frank blurted, retreating in Desmond’s direction.

  “Knock first!” my mate snarled.

  “I did. No one answered.” Backing into my mate’s father, Frank held up his hands in a placating gesture. It didn’t save him from my mate whacking him in the face with the pillow. “I was concerned, so I let myself in.”

  “It might have had something to do with the fact we were sleeping,” my mate snarled, smacking Frank again. “It’s too early to be awake.”

  “Baby, it’s about an hour and a half until check-out,” Desmond said, sidestepping Frank so he could grab the pillow and lift it until my mate was standing on her toes as she fought to keep a hold on it. “Go take a bath and get dressed. Why are you still in yesterday’s clothes? Didn’t you pack pajamas?”

  My mate lost her hold on her pillow, wailing as her father held it out of her reach. She made several jumps for it before Desmond tired of her antics and captured her around the waist to pull her into a hug.