Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 4

by R. J. Blain

  When I was ready to head out, two riders coming into the station pumped their fist at me, and I returned the gesture, hoping they were part of the gang of kids that had descended on Sophie’s place. One hopped off, jogging over to me.

  “They caught Richard and Kelly half an hour ago. Danny is wearing Kelly’s suit on your sled, which Sophie fixed, giving the pack the runaround. If you ride fast and stick to the trail, you might beat them to the lodge,” the rider said without removing his helmet.

  “Thanks.”

  “Ride safe.”

  “You as well.” I headed east until I picked up the trail, watching for the red-painted sign. When I found it, I opened the throttle, speeding along the trail, careful to keep on it instead of falling prey to another sled-eating drift.

  Everything was quiet until I came into sight of a cluster of cabins ringing a log house similar to Sophie’s place but larger. Many snowmobiles were parked in front of the massive porch, with a lot of chattering men and women clustered near a group of sleds. My father held Richard by the collar, and the two were engaged in a snarling match.

  Instead of parking with the rest of the sleds, I rode right up to the steps, killed the engine, and lunged up onto the porch. I darted through the door, spun around, and yanked off my helmet.

  “Ha!” I tossed the helmet onto the bench next to the door. Two men gawked at me where they sat on the couch.

  “You must be Desmond’s girl,” one of them said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at me. “Are you aware that your hair is covered in ice?”

  “Unfortunately. Hello.” I waved, peeking out the door at my father, who was too absorbed in yelling at Richard to notice me. “How long have they been there?”

  “Twenty minutes,” the man replied. “I’m Simon, Richard’s Third. This is Phillip. You’ve led the pack on a merry little hunt, Miss Desmond. Well done.”

  I nodded to acknowledge him. “I’m Nicolina.”

  Simon rose, walking over to join me, his gaze focused on my throat. When he was close enough I could hear his breathing, he murmured, “It seems Richard was correct in that you are fine. He did not tell us just how lovely you are.”

  I backed up, grabbing the helmet I had just discarded. “That’s kind of you, but please get out of my face.”

  “Leave the girl alone,” Phillip snapped. “Her father’s right outside, as is Richard.”

  “Richard ain’t going to do shit about it,” Simon snarled back. “Wouldn’t have brought her here if he cared. Come on, little lady. You’ll make a lovely mate.”

  I smashed my helmet into the side of his head. “I said get out of my face.”

  Simon yowled, reaching for me.

  “Richard!” I squealed, adjusting my grip on the helmet to strike the Fenerec again.

  Instead of Richard, my father shoved through the door, grabbed me by the waist, and yanked me to him. “Nicolina,” he snarled, holding me close to him. “Are you all right?”

  I dropped the helmet and squirmed in my father’s grip to put extra distance between me and Simon. “I’m fine.”

  “Simon, back off,” Richard ordered, coming up behind my father. His eyes burned yellow. “She’s off limits.”

  “Richard,” Simon gulped, backing away. A cut across his cheek marked where I had struck him. “I apologize.”

  Richard pushed by my father, sliding in front of me. “No one touches Desmond’s puppy without my permission.” Turning to me, he scowled. “I see you found your way right into trouble, Miss Desmond. At least you did not crash my snowmobile into anything.” He paused. “You didn’t, did you?”

  “And here I thought you were so clever and wouldn’t get caught,” I retorted. “I didn’t. Aren’t you supposed to be some hot-shot Alpha? You really got caught.”

  “Nicolina,” my father growled. “What exactly did you think you were doing?”

  “I was eliminating my rent debt and ensuring you replaced Richard’s jet. You had to catch us, and you only caught Richard. Admit it. I won.”

  “So you went out the window in the middle of the night when it was freezing cold outside.”

  “Oh.” I flushed, ducking my head. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  “If you ever even think of pulling a stunt like that ever again, so help me, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your life,” my father swore. “First, you disappear. In a display of utter stupidity, Richard follows after you. On your own, you’re bad enough, but to join forces with Richard? Are you trying to frighten your mother and me to death? Worrying about you getting yourself killed out in this weather is bad enough, but I worried you’d kill Richard before we found you.”

  “She gets it from you,” my mother snarled from behind me. “Nicolina Angelica Desmond, you’re in so much trouble.”

  “She is in trouble, yes, because until I have my jet, she’s still my hostage,” Richard announced, setting his hands on my shoulders. “Unhand my hostage, Desmond. I seem to recall the stakes stated if I won, she was mine until the start of her next quarter, in case you have not made good on your acquisition of my replacement jet by then.”

  My father growled something and, to my dismay, he released me. “We’re going to have a long talk about this, Richard.”

  Richard tightened his grip on my shoulders, pulling me to him. “No jet, no Porsche, no daughter. Now you three kiss and make up so I can take my hostage to my house.”

  Staring down at the floor, I swallowed and wondered if I rubbed my toe at the tile long enough if I could dig my way to China. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

  “Oh, Nicolina,” my mother said, her tone lacking any of the anger from moments before. “I’m only upset because I was worried. You could have frozen to death out there.”

  “Try that stunt again and I really will skin you alive,” my father swore before kissing my forehead. “Also, why is your hair frozen?”

  Richard laughed. “She was so excited to leave this morning she didn’t dry her hair before stealing my snowmobile. She’ll thaw out eventually.”

  “Just like her father, not thinking things through,” my mother complained.

  “Wendy!”

  “What? It’s true. Oh, well. I have to admit, it was a good chase. Seeing Frank’s expression when he realized his girl was with Richard instead of Nicolina was priceless.”

  Richard leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Frank about had a heart attack. I’m surprised he didn’t faint. Kelly, however, had a blast. She also got a few cute photos of Frank’s expression as he clued in on what was going on. You’ll like this. One of the boys wore Kelly’s suit, and then led the rest of the pack all over the bush before he was caught, resulting in mass chaos. I have to give Sophie credit; she plays games just as good as a wolf.”

  “It was easy for me. Hardly passed anyone on the real trail. Even managed to gas up without having to ask for help,” I reported, raising my fist as the two riders in Yellowknife had. Richard bumped his fist against mine. “I could get to like these snowmobiles. Yours didn’t try to kill me, not once.”

  “It’s a miracle,” he grumbled.

  “I’m still amazed you two didn’t kill each other,” my father stated.

  I snorted, determined not to blush over what Richard had done and how I had reacted to him. “Temporary truce. A very temporary truce. Next time, I’ll find a cobra for his shoes.”

  “My next glitter bomb will include real spiders,” Richard warned.

  “You wouldn’t even dare.”

  “Oh? Care to find out, Miss Desmond? Live spiders are easier to acquire than cobras. I could get hundreds of them.” The way Richard trailed a finger down the back of my neck birthed shivers that ran down my neck all the way to my toes. Squealing, I twisted to escape from him.

  “I’ll kill you,” I swore, batting at his hand until he let me go.

  “I’ll enjoy watching you try.”

  Index

  Volume One

  Hunted

  Nicolina Desmond should h
ave known that her twin’s overly friendly behavior with the eligible Fenerec males would land her in trouble, but she never expected how far young, single werewolves would go to secure a mate.

  The Scent of Guilt

  When Richard is invited to hunt Nicolina’s kidnappers with her father, he jumps at the chance. With Desmond lusting for blood and violence, Richard is forced to toe the line between mercy, justice, and revenge.

  Firecracker

  No matter how influential Charles Desmond is, it’s not enough to stop those who are determined to take Richard’s rank through force. With Nicolina Desmond out on the hunt to kill him once and for all, he’ll need a lot more than luck to survive his stay with the Desmonds.

  Glitter

  Richard Murphy has many sides, and Nicolina Desmond is dismayed to discover that he truly has the patience of a hunting wolf and his pranks are just as nefarious as hers. When the bodies of Fenerec turn up in her back yard, however, she might have to kill again, and her target is none other than Yellowknife’s injured Alpha.

  Volume Two

  Charmed

  While Nicolina is relieved to have survived her first quarter at Stanford, there are still a few surprises left in store for her, leaving her with a lot more questions than answers… and an extra mouth to feed.

  Crash and Burn

  Richard’s worst fears come to pass when Nicolina’s plane crashes, leaving him to control her parents or witness two of North America’s most dangerous Fenerec rampage through a crowded airport.

  Wild Wolf

  In Richard’s desperation to dominate Desmond and his mate, he has done far more harm to himself than anyone ever suspected. With his human half in trouble and fading fast, it falls to his wolf to find a way to save them both. To make matters worse, it’s Christmas Eve, and Richard’s past once again comes back to haunt him.

  Volume Three

  The Silvered Wolf

  With Richard recovering, there’s some hope of salvaging their normal Christmas rituals, but her father’s plan sweeps Nicolina up into her worst nightmare—one where she’s a bartering chip held by none other than the Silvered Wolf.

  The Games Wolves Play

  Richard and his wolf are delighted to have Nicolina for their own for at least several days, but when his parents show up, their fun and games take a lethal turn.

  Volume Four

  Tangles

  Between her father’s plans to subject her to a trip to Yellowknife and the matted ruins of her hair, Nicolina’s life has become a tangled mess. When help comes from an unexpected source, she’s forced to look at herself and her worst enemy in a different light.

  Witch

  When an Inquisition witch shows up to take Richard into custody, Nicolina once again proves he has a lot to learn about Desmond’s daughter.

  Striking a Deal

  Dealing with the devil has its risks, but when Nicolina strikes a bargain with Richard Murphy, she fears she has bitten off more than she can chew.

  In Hot Water

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

  Breaking Point

  Everyone has a breaking point, and Nicolina Desmond is no different. When her father crosses the line one too many times, an impulsive decision results in her teaming up with Richard Murphy for some good old-fashioned payback. The only problem? Their opponents are three of North America’s most dangerous wolves and the entirety of Richard’s pack.

  Volume Five

  The Power of a Word

  Despite all of her efforts and carefully cultivated hatred for Richard Murphy, Nicolina Desmond craves his company—and more. Determined to choose her own fate, she puts Richard to the test, and discovers what sort of man he is.

  Bonds

  Richard prepares himself for a lifetime of hunting Nicolina so he might claim her as his mate. However, Desmond’s daughter has plans of her own, and he has once again become her prey.

  The Value of a Life

  With the full moon on the rise, Nicolina has more than thralled wolves to worry about. Fearing what her father will do if he ever learns she has staked her claim on Yellowknife’s Alpha, she hides her love and affection for Richard in the only way she knows how. To mask their mingling scents, she unleashes a cologne apocalypse in his bedroom.

  With her new mate hunting with his wolves, she takes the opportunity to get to know his brother. But when a jealous wolf bent on destroying what Richard holds dear comes calling, Nicolina must decide for herself the true value of a life—and whether or not she is willing to kill to protect those her mate loves.

  Shattered

  Richard’s worst nightmare has come true. No longer able to feel his brother in the pack bonds and fearing for his mate’s life, he relinquishes control of Yellowknife’s pack to Desmond, hoping he’s not too late to save what little of his family he has left.

  In order to save his brother, Nicolina has killed once again. This time, however, she has shattered under the strain of taking another’s life. Should Richard make a single mistake, he may be left as the lone survivor—or fall victim to her silver bullets.

  Titles by RJ Blain

  Witch & Wolf (Urban Fantasy)

  Inquisitor

  Winter Wolf

  Blood Diamond

  Other titles from the Witch & Wolf World (UF)

  Tales of the Winter Wolf

  Volume One

  Volume Two

  Volume Three

  Volume Four

  Volume Five

  Omnibus - Volumes One-Five

  Beneath a Blood Moon (UF, Standalone, Nov 2015)

  Requiem for the Rift King (Epic Fantasy)

  Storm Without End

  Storm Surge

  The Fall of Erelith (Fantasy)

  The Eye of God

  Winter Wolf

  Witch & Wolf, Book 2

  When Nicole dabbled in the occult, she lost it all: Her voice, her family, and her name. Now on the run from the Inquisition, she must prove to herself—and the world—that not all wizards are too dangerous to let live.

  The savage murder of a bookstore employee throws Nicole into the middle of Inquisition business, like it or not. Driven by her inability to save the young man’s life, she decides to hunt the killer on her own. Using forbidden magic to investigate the past, she learns that the murderer is in fact a disease that could kill the entire werewolf race.

  Forced to choose between saving lives and preserving her own, Nicole embraces the magic that sent her into exile. Without werewolves, the power of the Inquisition would dwindle, and she could live without being hunted.

  Nicole’s only hope for success lies in the hands of the werewolves she hates and the Inquisition she fears, but finding someone to trust is only the beginning of her problems. There are those who want to ensure that the werewolves go extinct and that the Inquisition falls.

  But, if she fails to find a cure, her family—including her twin sister—will perish…

  Chapter One

  I slammed my car’s door, spun on a heel, and swore I would have a perfectly normal visit to the mall. All I needed was one little book. Even I could walk into a bookstore, pick up a novel, and leave without causing any trouble.

  This time I wouldn’t blow out the lights. There wouldn’t be a single power surge. I wouldn’t turn on every unplugged device in the electronics store on my way across the mall. In the ten minutes it would take me to get in and out, the only thing anyone would notice about me was the fact that I wore a high-collared sweater in late summer. I had a mission, and I would complete it without fail. The novel my agent insisted I read would be mine.

  For a long moment, I considered turning around and getting back into my car. Dominic would forgive me if I didn’t start reading the book until tomorrow. I could call in a favor and ask someone to pick up a copy for me. Then I definitely wouldn’t run any risk of blowing anything up. If I had been smart, I would’ve just ordered the damned t
hing on the internet, but I had waited too long.

  Fishing my cell out of my pocket, I unlocked the screen with a swipe of my finger. The charging icon mocked me. Despite running every battery-draining app I could find, the battery held a full charge. I opened another app, a devilish program capable of killing the battery in ten minutes. It wouldn’t, not with me around, but if I was too busy keeping my phone topped up, maybe my mall shopping trip would prove to be mundane.