by Minda Webber
“Tonight’s the full moon! Were you just planning on letting the children chase me around the house, growling?”
“Of course not, darling! I had decided that I would keep them out of your way this time. I wanted to make sure you were a bit more adjusted to our marriage before you discovered our family secret.”
Rae shook her head. No longer had she to worry about the wolf at the door; they were already inside in the castle. And what a snapping, snarling pack they were! She studied her new family: Alden chewed on her cloak, Ernst lifted a leg at the piano, Quinn chased his shadow and Poppy licked her paw. Fen was patting Nap on the back, apparently proud of his son for bringing Rae home safely.
Rae turned to Merri, who was stuffing her cheeks with nuts as Shyla retied a ribbon on her smock. As perverse and frightening as the whole scene was, Rae saw them through a mother’s eyes. She had already fallen in love with the little monsters, so what difference did it make if they spent half their time as wolves?
Fen took a deep breath and asked with a hint of trepidation, “Well?”
“Well…?” She knew very well what he was asking, but she decided to let him bear his guilty conscience a trifle longer. What woman worth her weight in salt, or rather gold, wouldn’t?
“She doesn’t like us, Papa,” Merri whined.
“I told you so,” Shyla muttered.
Fixing a rather stern eye on her stepdaughter, Rae declared, “Of course I do! I happen to like all of you a great deal, though heavens know why. You’re unruly, raucous, rowdy, and devious to the bone.”
Shyla tugged on her father’s jacket. “Papa, are any of those compliments?”
A bark of laughter escaped Fen. “Yes, my little one,” he answered as he patted his daughter on her bright golden curls. “All of them. She finds us trying and terribly havy-cavy, but she accepts us. We’ve grown on her, I think.”
Rae nodded her head. “Rather like mold.”
Again Fen felt a tugging on his jacket. “Was that a compliment, too? Who wants to be like mold? It’s all green.”
Before Fen could answer, Rae replied laughingly, “I’ve always been fond of the color of mold. Such a bright, cheery green. In fact, I have some ribbons the exact same color. They’re my favorites. I think”—Rae tapped her chin with her finger, looking at Merri— “that the color would look lovely in your hair. Shall I braid your hair for you tomorrow, and you can wear my green ribbons?”
Merri’s grumpy expression changed to one of delight, and she nodded enthusiastically.
“What about me?” Shyla asked. “I want to wear mold ribbons. And what about Poppy? She’ll want some ribbons, too.”
Poppy barked in agreement. Rae reached over to pat her head fondly. “Indeed, she will. Perhaps I can tie a pink ribbon around her neck tonight. It will be lovely with her gold fur.” Both Merri and Shyla laughed, while Nap managed a small smile, and Rae added, “And I have a pretty blue ribbon the color of a robin’s egg that would look very pretty in your hair and match your eyes.”
Shyla nodded, satisfied, and Rae next began to tell how brave Nap was after he rescued her from her own folly. She praised him for his tracking skills and said he had made her feel safe. Nap blushed and stood up a bit taller. His stepmother had passed his test. She knew, and she hadn’t run screaming from the castle. Yes, Nap decided. They would keep her.
At the looks on his children’s faces, Fen’s own expression became a wide grin. He had found a good woman, and he had found her in the most unexpected of all places: in Fürst Gelb’s golden salon, dancing to the tune of a cockroach. But then, nature’s first hue was gold, the hardest hue to hold. And to hold on to his golden bride was just what Fen intended.
Rae smiled up at him, and the two shared a sacred moment between man and wife.
Leaning down to give his wife a tender kiss, Fen volunteered, “I’ll take the children out for a run. Come along now.” He knew his bride might want some time to digest the fact that half her stepchildren were werewolves.
The cubs leaped up and began to follow their father, with the exception of Alden, who was now worrying Rae’s blue cloak between his teeth. Alden ignored his father, too entranced with the cloak.
“Alden, let’s go.”
“I’ll watch him,” Rae said, grinning.
Fen started to reach over and take the tattered cloak away, but Rae stopped him. “It’s all right. It’s already torn.” Then she smiled impishly. “Which means you will need to buy me a new one.”
He answered her smile with a wicked one of his own, his eyes twinkling devilishly. “My pleasure.”
“No, but it will be,” she replied saucily. “And I want one with an ermine collar.”
“And a matching muff, of course.”
“Of course.”
He leaned down and kissed her head again, then headed for the door. His noisy, barking brood followed.
Rae called after him, “Hurry back. I’ll wait with bated breath.”
He gave her a naughty little wink that sent her heart pounding in her chest. “I’ve married a saucy wench.”
“Ja,” she smiled.
From the doorway, Fen turned to gaze at Rae and his human children gathered about the roaring fire. He had a family at last. “Zwei seelen und ein gedanke.”
Rae’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Two souls with heels?”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, Rae, you are a constant delight.” Shaking his head he explained proudly, love shining in his eyes, “Two souls with but a single thought.”
His tender wooing captured her heart completely, and Rae felt blessed among women. She had never thought to find someone with the same thoughts as herself, or that she would want to share those of another. Against all odds—or rather, against her vanity—she had found a prince among frogs, wolves, and men.
Fen’s eyes turned the color of smoke, and he fought to control the overwhelming urge to throw his wife over his shoulder and carry her off to bed. There he would ravish her all night long. Instead, the sounds of his wolf pack caused him to turn and slip out into the night.
Rae smiled. It sounded as if the hounds of hell were at his heels. Or leading him.
Epilogue
Rae and Fen finally had their true wedding night, and it had them believing that they would live happily ever after. Well, maybe not always happily, but then Rae had discovered she liked life with a bite or two thrown in for good measure. Greta escaped the clutches of the corpse-stealing vampire without a scar to show but a very juicy story, which of course sent her brothers into raptures.
At Greta and Rolpe’s wedding, Greta’s mother gloated happily. She had two daughters now married very well: a princess and a baroness. Let her sister put that in her snuff box and sniff it. At the wedding, Aunt Vivian scowled and drank a toast to the happy couple. Bitter dregs indeed. And as the children increased, Aunt Vivian became a sour old woman, lamenting her sister’s good fortune. She became so deranged she went to live in a house that looked like a shoe. On nights of the full moon, all her great-nephews and nieces went there to frolic and howl. And so life started out (and went on) very well in Prussia for the sisters Grimm.
Their brothers drank in their letters about everyday life in the Black Forest with insatiable delight because, of course, none of it was quite so everyday. A werewolf for a brother-in-law was almost more than the brothers Grimms’ creative little hearts could bear. To be honest, from this ever-entertaining correspondence two literary giants were born, and the two men had fascinating romances of their own …
But, alas, that’s another story—and between us, something of a fairy tale.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Margaret and David P. for all their help and kindness throughout the years to both myself and family; Karen Faltisek, for always lending a sometimes-needed shoulder; my family for their unending support; Kaye at the Red Rock for just being you and doing fabulous weddings; Kathleen Conner for not killing me when I broke the gingerbread Ferris wheel; D
onna Jo Wagner for laughing at all the right places in my books and my vampire beanie; Judy York for bandaging my numerous accidents this year; Dave Lykins for giving me a chance to soar among eagles and giving me a lab to blow up; Laurel Romm for her help and smile—I forgive you the snakes, even the boa; Geoff Worssam for generously helping my classes with supplies; Jason Baldwin for surviving earth science madness; Marc Sterling for sharing his advice and chocolate—an absolute must for every teacher; Elaine Vail and Chris Violette for their help in the library and cheering me on, carrying my blow-up doll in the red mini across campus; Merrily Pychinka and K. Busche for helping me out on my strat. field trip; Greg Kirkham for stepping up to the plate, or rather the mountain, and helping me herd students. And last, but certainly not least…to my students, who have shared the learning, the laughter, the good, the bad and the beautiful. You have weathered a place in my heart that won’t be forgotten (a little earth science humor there).
CRITICS CHEER FOR AWARD-WINNING
AUTHOR MINDA WEBBER!
THE REINVENTED MISS BLUEBEARD
“Known for ingenious stories brimming with historical, literary and pop culture tidbits, Webber is in high spirits with her third historical romance.”
—RT BOOKreviews
“I breezed through The Reinvented Miss Bluebeard. This lighthearted paranormal is just the book for those in need of a break from those dark and brooding books on the market now.”
—Romance Reader at Heart
BUSTIN’
“Webber again brings readers a comical story full of references to 1940’s movies.…the story is a fun escape.”
—RT BOOKreviews
“Minda Webber fills every page in Bustin’ with her trademark quips and pop culture references.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Webber’s books crack me up.…They are like kids’ cartoons that adults find funnier because of all the bizarre references.”
—Book Crossing
“Ms. Webber has demonstrated her ability to make us laugh in a historical setting. Now, in a contemporary story, she continues to earn her place on the must buy list. The humor is sharp, snappy, and requires you to think a little to get all the puns and in-jokes. Solving a mystery and witnessing a romance are bonuses.”
—Eternal Night
MORE RAVES FOR MINDA WEBBER!
THE RELUCTANT MISS VAN HELSING
“Webber delights readers with another laugh-out-loud tale of mayhem among the supernatural ton.…This wonderfully witty, wildly clever, gripping, sensual and exciting romp proves that Webber’s reputation as an up-and-comer is well and truly deserved.”
—RT BOOKreviews (Top Pick)
“This sensational screwy satirical sequel will have readers laughing at Jane’s capers and Neil’s reactions to her antics. The action-packed amusing story line also is loaded with literary references that are fun to follow as these witticisms augment a zany well-written tale that howls for more.”
—The Best Reviews
“If you enjoy a funny, yet romantic, paranormal tale filled with monsters, vampires, werewolves and trouble-attracting heroines, then you will most certainly love this book.”
—A Romance Review
THE REMARKABLE MISS FRANKENSTEIN
“[A] clever, laugh-out-loud, madness-and-mayhem romp through vampire-, werewolf-and ghost-ridden London. Webber does for vampires what Sandra Hill did for Vikings!”
—RT BOOKreviews
“This wacky satirical paranormal romance will have readers howling in laughter.…action-packed and amusing.”
—Midwest Book Review
Also by Minda Webber
Other Love Spell books by Minda Webber:
THE REINVENTED MISS BLUEBEARD
BUSTIN’
JUST ONE SIP (Anthology)
THE RELUCTANT MISS VAN HELSING
THE REMARKABLE MISS FRANKENSTEIN
Copyright
LOVE SPELL®
July 2008
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2008 by Minda Webber
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E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0516-2
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