by R. J. Blain
Slave Lake was littered with deadfall on its shores. I sat on a log, stomping my feet to try to restore warmth to them. Smart girls would have turned back, slinking to the safety of the cabin, but the thought of dealing with more mockery sickened me almost as much as the sight of Richard’s blood splattered on the bathroom’s white tiles.
Maybe I was a Normal, but I couldn’t live an ordinary life.
I was tired of the bloodshed. I was tired of a lot of things, including being prey. Normal girls—truly normal, regular girls—didn’t have to worry about whether or not their parents would snap and eat them. They also didn’t have to worry about whether or not winter would result in a permanent arranged marriage.
They went to school, dated boys, and lived in blissful ignorance of the things that went bump in the night. I was as far from that as it got. In the best case scenario, all I had to do was hold out three more years then I’d be able to run for real, permanently, and as far from the Fenerec packs as possible.
I didn’t want to wait that long.
Hugging my knees, I stared out over the frozen lake to watch the sun rise. Powdery snow sparkled in the early light as it blew across the glassy ice. The log shifted and creaked as someone sat beside me. I clenched my teeth and determinedly ignored the intruder.
Maybe if I pretended that I didn’t exist, I’d vanish in a plume of smoke.
“I can’t tell if you’re incredibly smart or incredibly stupid,” Richard said, stretching his legs out. Unlike me, he was wearing boots, which were caked in white. “It takes someone exceedingly clever to sneak out of a cabin with four Fenerec in it, avoiding detection as she does so. It takes someone quite smart to figure out how to cover her tracks enough to trick her father’s nose. Well done, by the way. Your father needs a reminder you play by your own rules and you can’t be stepped on too much. However, it takes someone entirely out of their right mind to venture out when it’s twenty below and windy. Winter in Canada isn’t quite as forgiving as in Seattle, Nicolina.”
I hunched my shoulders. “Says the incredibly stupid individual who thought trying to bleed to death on the bathroom floor was a good idea.”
“Sometimes people just need to do something to prove they can. Hands are also convenient.”
When I didn’t say anything, Richard chuckled. “Your mother, father, and Frank are scouring the woods for you as wolves. I was not invited to participate, so I waited for them to leave before I pulled the same trick you did. Out the window and circling around was pretty clever, Miss Desmond. You only made one mistake.”
“What mistake?” I growled.
Richard poked me in the ribs. “You should have buried the branch or taken it with you instead of tossing it into the trees. It had your scent on it. It was easy to figure out where you went when I stopped to think about it. With ice on the lake, all you have to do to find town is follow the shore. Simple, but smart—except for the whole running out in freezing temperatures in the middle of the night part.”
I sighed.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“I can make a few guesses, but I won’t. Why beat the dead horse?” Richard pointed across the lake in the direction I had come. “I left my branch out on the middle of the ice, where the wind will carry my scent away—or bury it in snow. I figured if I was going to join you in defiance, I’d at least do a better job of hiding my tracks.”
“Cheater,” I grumbled.
“Hey, you should thank me. I recovered your stick and got rid of it. Before you decide what you’re going to do, you should be aware that your mother and father are both frantic, especially since you were clever enough to leave your cell in your bag. Leaving your wallet behind was a nice touch, especially since they couldn’t find your passport. Desmond was ranting about gypsies and something about you joining the circus by the time he decided he was going daughter hunting, which was approximately twenty seconds after he realized you were gone.”
“The circus?” I groaned. “Why the hell would I join the circus?”
“Who else is going to take a runaway?”
“I thought I’d just show up for classes early,” I grumbled.
“With just your passport?” Richard demanded, his tone incredulous. “You’re even more daring than I thought.”
Digging into my pocket, I pulled out my passport. Opening it, I showed him the credit card I had acquired behind my father’s back. “A girl can never go unprepared.”
“You’re quite something. What’s the limit?”
“Fifteen hundred. It’s prepaid. Only type I could get without my parents knowing about it,” I grumbled.
“That would’ve gotten you pretty far if you decided to make a serious run for it. You win this round, Miss Desmond. So you have ID. You have money that’s difficult to track. What are you planning next?”
I stared down at my sneakers, kicking at the snow. The motion woke tingles in my toes. “It’s stupid.”
“I won’t laugh, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Richard replied, nudging my foot with his. “Those are terrible shoes for this weather. Your feet must be freezing.”
“I wore several pairs of socks,” I grumbled, jerking away from him.
“That was smart and probably saved your toes. Losing them to frostbite would be unpleasant. So, you’ve made your daring escape. You have given the dogs of war the slip. What is the intrepid heroine going to do next?”
“I was either going to go home or back to Stanford,” I admitted in a mumble, flushing.
Richard leaned towards me until I either had to meet his gaze or turn to avoid him. Staring off to the side didn’t help; I caught glimpses of him out of the corner of my eye.
He sighed. “Back to the safety of the den? It’s as much about the defiance as it is the destination, isn’t it?”
My eyes once again burned with the need to cry. I wiped them, determined not to give in to my frustration.
“Well, the whole border crossing part of running home would make things a bit difficult for you. If you want to get some wholesome revenge, however, I think I might have a nice compromise,” Richard said, his tone conspiratorial.
With the choice of heading back to the cabin to face my parents or sticking with Richard, I decided Yellowknife’s Alpha was the lesser evil. “What compromise?”
Richard chuckled. “Well, I happen to have this nice house tucked in the woods. It’s spacious, quiet, and there are plenty of places for a young lady to den. There’s even a library, and I might have the keys to a private office no one else is invited to visit. You’re welcome to make yourself a little nest in there. At least for a few days, there won’t be any Fenerec to bother you, your parents included. It’s a pretty nice deal.”
It sounded like too nice of a deal to me. Frowning, I turned to face him. “What’s the catch?”
Grinning at me, Richard poked my nose with his gloved finger. “To get there, you’ll have to ride on a snowmobile with me for the next day or two. Once I’ve acquired a sled, I will taunt your father with a text message from a borrowed phone. We’ll go for a fun little jaunt in the woods. We’ll both yank his tail hard and have some fun in the process.”
“Will you let me drive?”
“So long as you promise not to crash into a tree, you can drive. Maybe we’ll take two sleds so you can drive the entire time,” he replied, nudging me with his elbow. “Come on. It’s a good deal. Your parents are going to blow their tops if we beat them to Yellowknife.”
“But how do we get sleds?” I demanded.
“Leave that to me. The first step is to get to town without those three annoying wolves catching us.” Richard stood and held out his hand. “The bad news? It’s about ten kilometers to the nearest cabin. The good news? I know the owners, and they’ll probably jump at the chance to tweak Frank’s nose. Up for a hike?”
The thought of standing made my feet hurt, but I accepted his help, and he pulled me upright. “Why?”
“Right,” I muttered. “Hiking across the Canadian wilderness in the middle of winter in sneakers and cheap gloves with a half-dead Fenerec for company. What could possibly go wrong?”
“Don’t forget the three wolves chasing us,” Richard added.
“How could I possibly forget that? Sneakers, half-dead Fenerec, and three rabid wolves hunting for us. Have I forgotten anything?”
“Better not ask,” Yellowknife’s Alpha replied, gesturing towards the lake. “Step one: cross the lake without falling through the ice and drowning. Step two: evade angry parents and equally angry Second. Step three: acquire snowmobiles. Step four: profit! Onward!”
“Profit?” I demanded.
Richard laughed. “You’ll see, Miss Desmond. You’ll see.”
By the time we reached the cabin, my feet were ready to file for divorce from the rest of my body. Richard knocked on the door, which was promptly answered by a middle-aged woman with the first hints of gray in her brown hair.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Richard Murphy,” she said, shaking her head. “I got the oddest phone call about an hour ago.”
“Let me guess. Was it from a rabid father in search of a wild, runaway daughter and a handsome gentlemen?” Richard replied, grinning at her.
“I suppose Frank counts as a bit rabid right now. He was ranting about how you are trying to kill yourself. He ordered me to tie you up so you can’t escape if you showed up. You must be Miss Nicolina. I’m Jessica. Why don’t you come in before you freeze to death? While I’m tempted to leave you on my doorstep, Richard, you can come in, too.”
Richard laughed. “Admit it, Jessica. You’d miss me if you let me freeze to death. While I’d make a lovely ice sculpture for your front lawn, I’d melt in the spring. I’d get smelly.”
“Your feet already are. Please, if you have any compassion in that heartless body of yours, don’t stink up my cabin. What brings you our way, eh?”
I made it three steps inside before the warmth of the cabin brought me to a halt. A bench large enough for two was placed next to the door on top of a rubber mat. When I didn’t move, Richard bumped into me until the back of my legs hit the bench. I sat, staring up at him at a loss of what to do.
“When I think of people who would enjoy a little sport at my expense, you’re among the first I think of,” Yellowknife’s Alpha teased.
“Now you’re just sweet talking me. You’re cute, Richard, but you’re not that cute. Who the hell am I kidding? You are that cute, and I hate you for it. Can I get you anything, Miss Nicolina? Tea, coffee, or cocoa?” Jessica asked.
“We’ll both have cocoa. I think we could use the chocolate and the sugar,” Richard replied, kicking off his boots. “You’re a gem, Jessica. Where’s Al?”
“I didn’t ask you, Richard, but I suppose you can have some, too. Al is pretending to be a good friend of yours and is making phone calls on Frank’s behalf.”
“Pretending? I’m wounded. I’m truly wounded.”
Richard didn’t sound very hurt to me. After exchanging kisses on the cheek with Jessica, he set his boots aside and shucked off his jacket, hanging it from one of the hooks over the bench.
I considered whether or not I had enough energy to lift my feet so I could try to untie my sneakers or worm my way out of my coat. Deciding I didn’t, I stretched my legs and stared at my feet.
Richard clicked his tongue, kneeling in front of me to grab my ankle. Instead of untying the laces, he wiggled my shoes off and dumped them onto the mat, followed by my socks. “Don’t suppose you have a change of clothes she can borrow until she thaws a bit, do you?”
His hands were warm on my feet.
“Sure, I have some pajamas that’ll probably fit her. You’ll swim in them, little thing that you are, but they’ll be warm,” Jessica said, smiling at me before heading deeper into the cabin. “Al’s in his study, Richard.”
“Al owns a snowmobile dealership and supplies most of the packs in the area. While they aren’t Fenerec, they’re related to some of the Slave Lake pack,” he explained, massaging my foot.
Pins and needles stabbed at my toes, and I grimaced as the sensation spread up my leg. “Ouch.”
“Well, it doesn’t look like you got frostbite at least. You’ll be fine once you’ve had a chance to warm up.”
“I’m okay,” I replied, wiggling my toes, wincing as they thawed. In a mumble, I continued, “I think you were right about the exceptionally stupid part, though.”
Richard went to work on my other foot, chuckling at my confession. “Your secret is safe with me. I’ll go talk to Al and see what he can do about a sled or two for us. I’ll also use him to throw the others off our trail.”
Jessica returned, carrying a folded pile of clothes, which she thrust into my hands. “The bathroom is the second door on the right, Nicolina. I’ve put the kettle on, so it shouldn’t take too long for the water to warm. As for you, Richard, you have some explaining to do.”
“I’ll talk to Al. If my demonic Second calls again, please tell him we’re not here,” Richard replied, rising. “The little lady here needs some space and fresh air, and I’m making sure she gets it.”
While Jessica wasn’t willing to look Richard in the eyes, she glared in his general direction. “I’ll remind you of something, Mr. Murphy. I like Frank more than I like you.”
“Hey, be nice. I’m about to give your husband my credit card. You like when I give him my credit card. Frank doesn’t give you his credit card.” Strolling down the hall, Richard waved before passing through a doorway and disappearing out of sight.
Jessica laughed. “That Richard is something else, isn’t he?”
Unable to argue with her, I nodded and retreated to the bathroom to change. By the time I stripped out of my cold, damp clothes, my thawing hands hurt as much as my feet. True to Jessica’s claim, the pajamas were big on me, but they were warm. When I emerged, Jessica waved at me from down the hall.
Instead of a kitchen table, there was a single island with stools. I hopped up on one at Jessica’s invitation. She slid a steaming mug of hot chocolate to me before making one for herself.
“Thanks,” I said, wrapping my fingers around the cup to warm my hands.
“No problem, sugar. Seems like you’ve had an interesting morning, if you ended up all the way out here with Richard in tow. Frank sounded worried.” Jessica sat on a stool across from me, staring at me through her lashes.
Taking a sip of the hot chocolate, I considered what to tell the woman. While Jessica seemed nice, I doubted she wanted to hear about how I had lost my temper and done something impulsive and stupid. I shrugged. “It’s been a long week.”
“Must have been, if Richard’s flipping Frank off like this. He’s not the type. Sure, he enjoys a good stunt as much as the next guy, but he’s pretty considerate for a wolf. Except for that one time, but that’s a different story.” Jessica giggled, leaning over the counter to glance out the doorway.
“That one time?” I asked, jumping on the chance to turn the conversation away from me to Richard. Maybe she would offer some jewel of insight or bit of blackmail I could use on him later.
“Normally, Richard’ll make a trip down, raid the dealership, and tow a couple of sleds back to Yellowknife with him.”
“Couldn’t he just buy in Yellowknife?”
“Sure, but he wouldn’t get the customizations he wants as fast as he likes. His toys are his babies, and he only wants the best working with them. Al’s been working with Richard for the past ten years on his sleds, so they’ve got it down to an art. Richard doesn’t like having to haggle it out with every salesman who crosses his path, and no wonder, eh? I wouldn’t either if I were planning on tossing down the kind of cash he spends on his machines.” Jessica shrugged.
I grimaced, remembering Richard’s Porsche. “Oh.”
“Anyway, last year Frank made the drive down with what used to be one of Richard’s sleds. It wasn’t even a month old, and he had crunched it goofing off on the trails.” Reaching across the island, Jessica snatched a magazine from a pile of them, flipping through it to show me a picture of a snowmobile. “It was one of these with all of the bells and whistles.”
I had no idea what made the black and red machine special, but I had the feeling it was the equivalent of a Porsche in the snowmobile world. “Let me guess, it was expensive.”
Jessica laughed. “That’s the understatement of the year. That was the most expensive sled we sold that year. Frank ended up staying with us for a week, which was about how long it took him to work up the courage to call Richard and confess his sins.”
“What happened?”
Tossing the magazine back onto the pile, Jessica rested her elbows on the counter and grinned at me. “First, Richard’s a worrier. He really likes Frank, so when Frank vanished with a fast, dangerous sled, he immediately dreamed up the worst-case scenario. All he knew was that Frank was alive somewhere, but Frank was trying to hide, so Richard couldn’t locate him. Richard panicked, which in turn set off everyone else in the pack. Finally, Frank’s mate, who knew what was going on, gave me a call begging me to do something.”
I covered my mouth to keep from giggling, imagining Richard so frazzled. “I almost feel sorry for him.”
“Trust me, girl, I don’t feel sorry for Richard most of the time, but I did then! Richard worried himself sick, thinking his Second had gone and gotten himself hurt, and he couldn’t go out to the rescue. Finally, Frank calls and whines about what happened. At this point, Richard’s so sick from worrying he couldn’t drive, so Frank’s mate brought him down.”
When Jessica trailed off and remained silent, I asked, “What happened?”
“World War III in my living room. Richard tears strips into Frank, and so they’re tussling on the floor while Vivian is shaking her head, not having a single bit of pity on her mate at all. Richard emerged with a broken wrist and nose. Frank emerged with a few cuts. Once the wailing died down, he saw what had happened to his sled and dropped in a dead faint, adding a concussion to the mix, since none of us expected him to fall like he did. Funniest thing I’ve seen in my life.” Jessica pulled out a cell from her pocket. “What to see the pictures?”
