Water Witch

by R. J. Blain

  “Give me the history of these accounts. Keep it brief.”

  I sighed and obeyed, explaining my method of cashing out on performing stocks and hunting down promising businesses to seed via stock acquisitions, in turn selling them once they plateaued. I had plenty of failures littering the various portfolios I worked, but I hadn’t done badly, especially considering I had only used two thousand dollars I skimmed from my parents’ accounts to make it happen.

  I had a couple of bank accounts in my name alone bearing the fruits of my efforts, and all of it would go to Alex for his education and anything he needed.

  He wouldn’t be like me, not if I had anything to do with it.

  “If that’s the brief version, I’m afraid to ask what the detailed one is.”

  “I couldn’t give you that information. I left most of the portfolios at my parents’ home when I left.” There was only so much I could carry, and the stock documentation filled an entire room of the house they rarely frequented.

  I got by on what I carried. They were welcome to the rest, as long as they stayed away from Alex.

  “I will make arrangements for you to stay near Yellowknife for the time being, if you find Roger’s property objectionable.”

  “I find it reprehensible and generally uninhabitable.”

  “Let’s begin with the lodge, then, as that is an integral part of Yellowknife’s pack operations. What sort of structure were you thinking for it?”

  Fenerec longed for packs, and my wolf was no different, although I doubted I would ever be welcome after killing their Alpha and four others. I thought about what kind of place my wolf and I would enjoy, somewhere to relax and spend time in the company of others. “A log cabin. A large one.”

  “With smaller cabins adjacent for privacy? Excellent. Think about what the pack will need at the lodge. Your job is to ensure their wolves are kept calm and in control, Mr. Murphy. Those who put Normals at risk will be executed. This is your one and only warning. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. Make your wish list, Mr. Murphy. I’m expecting good things from you.”

  The Shadow Pope of the Inquisition hung up on me. I returned the phone to its cradle and wondered how I could have been so stupid as to wander into a pack’s territory.

  I took the biggest risk of my life asking two of Yellowknife’s pack to care for Alex, but if Frank and Tully couldn’t protect my brother, none of them could. Both seemed eager enough to take Alex into their custody, and Frank’s mate joined in, her presence reassuring me my brother would be safe enough.

  The old Alpha’s house, perched on the side of a hill doing its level best to become a mountain, was coming down, and I didn’t care what anyone thought about it. After a few inquiries, I learned Tully had the best truck, one capable of handling the drive to the house even in the snow.

  I borrowed the keys, promised to take care of it, and raided the shed for supplies. An axe, some rope, and a chainsaw later, and I had everything I needed to begin my rampage. My wolf detected hints of worry from the Fenerec in the pack, but I dismissed it.

  They had no reason to care about me or my wolf.

  It depressed us both, but instead of fixating on our misery, I channeled every last bit of my energy towards destroying every last reminder of the man who had tried to kill my little brother.

  Disconnecting the power from the house took a bit of work; someone had the bright idea to hide the fuse box an absurd distance from the house. Once certain I wouldn’t electrocute myself, I started the chainsaw and went to work cutting studs, tearing down siding, and leaving a pile of rubble in my wake.

  When the structure finally gave up the ghost, it shuddered, and with a groan of wood, it toppled from its perch and thundered to the ground below. The whole thing hadn’t gone down, leaving a large chunk of the first floor intact, part of the second, and odd bits and pieces of the roof.

  I took savage delight in throwing pieces off the ledge to plop into the snow below. I cursed the Fenerec insane enough to attack a child, and I loathed myself for not having run far or fast enough to evade the surviving pack.

  How was I supposed to be an Alpha? How could I, who couldn’t even look my parents in the eyes without trembling, have any hope of controlling a single wolf, let alone thirty-six males and a single female, none of whom seemed to have any clue about how to control themselves?

  Control I could handle, if they let me. My mother had needed me to keep from transforming so she could give birth to Alex since my father hadn’t been able to help her. It was the only thing I could do well.

  I still wasn’t sure how I’d been born.

  When it meant the life or death of a puppy, my wolf didn’t care who he faced, how strong they were, or the consequences: the puppy’s well-being always came first.

  I used the chainsaw on the couch and snarled as I flung each piece over the edge. When it ran out of gas and exhaustion weighed me down, I returned to Tully’s truck, slid into the cab, and shifted to my wolf to rest.

  It took me three days to dismantle the house to its foundation, and when I left, I loaded wood suitable for a fireplace into the back of the truck for the drive back to the lodge. Hunger cramped my stomach and distressed my wolf, but I ignored the discomfort, clenching my teeth the entire drive through the woods over the trail serving as a road.

  I’d fix that, too. If people were actually expecting to reach the rock jutting out from the craggy valley, there would be something better than two ruts weaving between pale trees with coils of peeling bark. I would build a place of safety for those affected by the uncontrolled wolves, a place where Fenerec weren’t welcome, a place where I could protect my little brother. The lodge I’d turn into a haven for the Fenerec.

  It took almost three hours to return to the lodge, and I glared at the worn, single-story structure I doubted would fit everyone comfortably for even a short period of time. By the time I parked the truck, curious Fenerec hovered in the doorway, watching me as I slid out of the cab.

  “That took you longer than we thought,” one of them declared. It took me a minute to recognize the young man. Phillip was one of the Fenerec who often stank of guilt. A woman in her mid-forties or early fifties leaned around him, regarding me with a raised brows. “You didn’t tell me he was a model, Phillip.”

  “He is easy on the eyes, isn’t he?”

  I decided the best way to deal with the problem was to ignore it. “Richard Murphy, ma’am.”

  “Polite, too, eh?” The woman hopped around Phillip, jumped down the lodge’s steps, and circled me. On the chill December wind, the scent of her unease put me on edge. I stood still so I wouldn’t startle her. “Next you’re going to tell me you’re a nice guy, too.”

  “I killed five people. I’m pretty sure that disqualifies me as being a nice guy.”

  “Eh, they deserved it.”

  That wasn’t the answer I was expecting. I frowned and kept an eye on her but turned most of my attention to Phillip. “Any problems?”

  “None. Frank and Vivian took Alex to their apartment for tonight. Tully’s in the kitchen if you’re hungry. I can’t help but notice there is a very large pile of wood in the back of his truck.”

  “I thought you’d appreciate some firewood. I noticed the lodge had a couple of fireplaces.”

  “Do I want to know where you got all that wood from?”

  “Probably not.”

  “All right. Amy and I were about to head out. Anything you need?”

  “Alex is all right?”

  Phillip chuckled. “Little Alex was very determined to make sure we all knew how to count to ten today. Once he was convinced we could, he made us spell each number, just in case. He asked about you, wanting to know when he’d get his lesson.”

  The scent of Amy’s unease faded to the warmth of pleasure. “I improvised. He’s really advanced for his age, Richard. He told me you’re his teacher?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been teaching him.”
<
br />   “Takes a lot of patience to teach a kid that young how to count.”

  I shrugged. “He likes learning.”

  “Well, he’s smart, well ahead of his age, and in perfect health. I’m a nurse, so I should know.”

  The pack had a nurse? I regarded Amy with renewed interest, and a few sniffs confirmed she was Phillip’s mate, although his scent was faint on her. “That’s great. Any ob-gyn experience?”

  Her eyes widened. “I’ve worked the delivery room a time or two. Why?”

  I stared at her, blinking. “If the pack has any puppies on the way…?”

  “We don’t,” she hissed at me, and her scent turned bitter.

  I recoiled, my eyes widening. “No puppies?”

  “Hey, Phillip? When was the last breeding?” The bitterness in her scent reflected in her voice.

  “Ten years ago, give or take a season, I think. Hey, Tully! When was the last breeding?”

  The older Fenerec came to the door and scowled. “Been a few years. Roger wouldn’t let us.”

  My fury sparked, and my wolf’s growls filled my head. “Excuse me? Wouldn’t let you?”

  Amy shuffled to her mate and stared at me, her body tense and wary.

  Tully shrugged. “Our Alpha didn’t have a mate.”

  “So?”

  “Without one, he wouldn’t help anyone have any puppies. We haven’t had any since he’s been our Alpha.”

  My mother had taught me what was involved in ensuring puppies, hoping I’d find a bitch and continue the family line and expand our pack, something I had rejected right along with my wolf. We felt winter’s call and the need to find a mate, but we ignored it.

  No matter what, I wouldn’t take the risk of having a puppy my parents might try to steal from me and my future mate. I clacked my teeth together, drawing deep breaths until I calmed. “If there are any pairs who wish to have a puppy, have them talk to me.”

  Tully straightened. “Why talk to you?”

  I snorted. “Because if Fenerec having puppies was easy, there’d be lots of them around. Actually, I take that back. Only the females need to come talk to me—she can handle making certain her male can provide her with puppies should she want one. It seems to me like the women in this pack have been stepped on a little too much, so it should be up to them when they decide to carry puppies.”

  If they read between the lines, which I hope they did, they’d understand I had my suspicions on what the pack had done. If they were wise, they’d know I meant to do something about it, beginning with empowering the bitches; human, Fenerec-born, and Fenerec alike.

  Amy sucked in a breath. “You’re going to let us decide?”

  “Yes. If any of the males don’t like that, then they can come for a chat.”

  “You’re going to be in a brawl by the end of the day,” Tully predicted.

  I showed him my teeth. “Let them come.”

  Word spread fast, and true to Tully’s threat, several of the pack’s males came to see me about my declaration, and none of them were happy. Rage and the stench of illness clung to them, and it didn’t take long for me and my wolf to recognize it would end in a fight.

  Later, I would need to thank Frank and Vivian for having taken Alex home with them so my little brother wouldn’t have to witness any more bloodshed.

  I expected a lot, and I wasn’t disappointed.

  Those who came to me shared one trait: women were property, and they didn’t like the idea I wouldn’t allow an open hunting season on prospective mates. Worse, their behavior woke the worry of raped, abused women in the area, all due to the previous Alpha’s neglect. Tearing down his house wasn’t enough.

  I understood the world of Fenerec all too well. For their victims, there’d be no justice nor revenge. All I could do was prevent them from hurting anyone else.

  I gave them one chance to swear their loyalty and obedience to me, with an oath they would never touch an unwilling woman ever again. They answered me with snarls.

  My wolf interpreted their response as a rejection of my offer, so I shifted, drove them out of the lodge, and used them to teach a lesson to the rest of the pack. If my message, written in pain and blood and finalized with death, didn’t get the point across, nothing would.

  My wolf fed me his fury, and my rage that anyone could even consider condoning such repulsive behavior fueled my determination to paint the wilderness with crimson.

  Before dawn came, I killed ten members of the pack, exiled one and ripped the pack bonds from him, and spared the life of another, who begged for mercy by the end.

  I should have felt something, anything, for their deaths, but weariness settled over me, and I stared at the blood-stained snow in the dawn gloom.

  “Well, that was educational,” Tully declared, nudging one of the bodies with his foot. “You won’t have any problems from the rest of the pack, Alpha.”

  “It wasn’t Phillip’s fault,” Amy blurted, and she wrung her hands in front of her and shifted her weight from foot to foot.

  I could still smell her distrust, but it was mild compared to her horror. I padded towards the lodge to change and shower the blood off.

  “Richard?” Amy whispered.

  Regarding her for a long, quiet moment, I dipped my head in a nod to acknowledge her before heading inside. Phillip stood in the doorway, and to make it clear I’d tear him apart if he hurt his mate, I nipped his leg hard enough he yelped before continuing on my way.

  “Phillip?” Amy’s voice rose an octave.

  “I’m fine. He just gave me a love bite. I’d be grouchy, too, after that.”

  Tully followed me into the bathroom and closed the door. “I’ll help you wash the blood off. You did the right thing. They wouldn’t have changed.”

  While I didn’t believe it, I didn’t argue with him, standing still while he worked to clean my fur. Some would agree I’d killed monsters in the shape of men, but I’d done it without hesitation, and while I recognized I was also a monster for my actions, I was too tired to scrape together even a hint of remorse.

  If necessary, I would do it again. I refused to raise Alex—or any puppy—where fear ruled. If anyone would be feared, it would be me. I could live with them hating me.

  I couldn’t live with the scent of old terror clinging to everything. My wolf and I would hate being the monster, but we would do what was necessary for as long as we lived.

  There was nothing else we could do.

  I called the Shadow Pope from the lodge, expecting my death to be soon in the making. He listened to my recounting of the circumstances leading to the deaths of ten Fenerec males, and left me to wait in silence.

  Ten minutes later, he sighed and said, “In my years as the Shadow Pope, I have come to learn there are certain types of Alphas. One wants power and uses his pack to get it. Another uses his power to protect his pack. You are the third type.”

  “Sir?”

  “You’re the type to live and die for puppies, which is very important for a species with a low birth rate. I suspected as much when I learned of your brother and your reactions to anyone threatening him. Your behavior has confirmed it. Have one of your wolves contact the head office with a list of names. We will make certain those who have died are accounted for in some fashion or another. Some will have been called away on business to never return. Others will, over the next few months, go missing without a trace. I’ll spare you this once and deal with your local police. Any other deaths are your problem, Mr. Murphy. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Excellent. And another thing, Mr. Murphy?”

  “Sir?”

  “You can’t raise lots of little puppies if you kill all the males. Do try to spare the rest. There are plenty of ways you can punish transgressors for their crimes.”

  “They wanted to take mates without their consent,” I snarled.

  “And you’ve sent a loud and clear message you won’t tolerate it in the pack. That’s good. I recommend you
inform the mated males that they should treat their woman as though they are prized princesses and give them a season or two to learn how to be partners. Then you can start encouraging them to have all the puppies you want.”

  His suggestions made sense to me and my wolf, so I said, “Understood, sir.”

  “I think you’re going to work out just fine, even though you’re so wet behind the ears it’s ridiculous. Try to get your act together this week. I’d rather not have to replace you, but I will if I must, and I don’t think I need to tell you what that’ll mean for your brother, now do I?”

  I ground my teeth together. “Understood, sir.”

  He hung up. I considered throwing the phone out the window, but instead, I returned it to its hook and sighed. From the bottom, there was nowhere to go but up.

  Maybe if I kept telling myself that, I would believe it. Until then, I’d do my best.

  There was nothing else for me to do.

  Three

  Frank: Dead Sled

  When Richard left me the keys to his new racing sled, I doubted he meant for me to nosedive it into a ravine. I’d plowed into trees before. Plowing through one, however, was a new experience I’d rather not repeat.

  Groaning from a mixture of pain and acknowledgment of my idiocy, I stared up at the pine boughs overhead. The remnants of the tree leaned against its neighbor, and the wind whipped snow and pine needles into me. With my luck, the whole damned thing would come crashing down on top of me.

  Richard was going to turn my pelt into a rug when he got his hands on me. Sighing, I considered the twisted ruins of plastic, metal, and rotten wood surrounding me. The back of my head throbbed, which baffled me since I had cracked the front of my helmet through the windshield. Instead of memories of how I had gotten tangled in the trashed sled, there was a big, black nothing.