Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 3

by R. J. Blain

  Contents

  Copyright

  The Silvered Wolf

  The Games Wolves Play

  Index

  Titles by RJ Blain

  Winter Wolf

  Dedication

  Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 3

  by RJ Blain

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher or author

  excluding the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  © 2015 RJ Blain

  ISBN: 978-1-928148-06-7

  For more information or to contact the author, please visit rjblain.com

  Special thanks to Brooke Johnson (http://brooke-johnson.com)

  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.

  I spent Christmas morning penned in Richard’s guest room along with one of his wolves, my sister, and the girl with yellow eyes. Sasha sat on the edge of the bed beside my sleeping sister, fidgeting with restless energy. Richard’s wolf stared at the door, head cocked to the side, listening for something.

  The girl whined, catching the attention of Richard’s wolf.

  “Richard’ll be fine, Sasha,” he said, his tone soft and soothing before he once again turned his attention to the door.

  “But Daddy…”

  “Sasha,” he scolded, sighing before standing up to kneel in front of her. With a faint smile, he ruffled the girl’s dark hair. “You did exactly what you were supposed to.”

  When the wolf turned to me, I stiffened, rolling my chair closer to the desk situated near the window.

  “You didn’t do bad yourself, Missy,” he said, and his brown eyes took on a yellow gleam. “You’re Nicolina, if I’m not mistaken.”

  There was something about the intensity of the Fenerec’s stare warning me against making eye contact or defying him, not without my father nearby. “I didn’t do anything,” I mumbled.

  “I disagree. It takes a lot of courage to interfere with an Alpha. You slapped one in the face.”

  I flushed, staring down at the silver and black choker I still clutched in my hands. Hitting Sanders with it had been reflex. The sight of Richard hanging limp in the Fenerec’s hand had infuriated me. While Richard annoyed me, while I wanted to have revenge on him for preying on my sister, he had helped my parents. No matter how much I disliked the truth, I owed him. He had even come to pick me up from the hospital.

  Richard’s pained whine and desperate panic had been too much for me to stand and watch. When Sanders had hit him, my choker had been the only thing I could think of to use against the Fenerec to buy me enough time to help Yellowknife’s Alpha.

  “Sanders isn’t angry with you, if that’s what you’re worried about. You surprised him, that’s all. I recommend against doing such things again in the future, however. It’s a good way to get yourself killed. You’re lucky they were more worried about Richard than they were about you.” The wolf shook his head. “I’m Tully. My daughter’s Sasha. She’s the youngest in our pack. What gave you the idea to hand Richard to her?”

  Sasha faced me, the yellow in her eyes fading to dark green.

  Once again, my face burned from my embarrassment. “Mr. Sanders wanted Frank to bring in his weakest, youngest wolves. I heard them talking about it on the phone.”

  “Well, you made the right choice.”

  “If I did, why are we stuck in here?” I grumbled, spinning in the office chair only to bang my elbows on the desk. Wincing, I set my choker aside, grabbed one of the click pens, and spun it between my fingers.

  “Richard’s going to be unpredictable. Mr. Desmond says this is where he dens, so here’s the safest place for you girls. If Richard gets violent, he’s not going to attack you while you’re in here with Sasha. We guard what we view as our den. So, don’t worry. I can distract Richard long enough for Frank or the other Alphas to control him. Once the other submissive wolves arrive, he should calm down.” Tully stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “Hell of a night.”

  I pointed at the window. “It’s not night anymore.”

  “So I see.” Tully grabbed hold of Sasha, lifted her off the bed, and spun in a circle.

  “Daddy!”

  My father rarely showed affection, not in the way Tully did with Sasha, spinning her and tossing her in the air until her embarrassed cries turned to laughter. Chasing Richard around the house had been the closest we’d come in a long time, which had come to an end in the violence and bloodshed I expected from Fenerec.

  When someone knocked at the door, Tully set Sasha down and answered, opening it. All of the humor left the Fenerec’s expression.

  Frank stood in the hallway, and his t-shirt was splattered with dark brown stains. When I realized it was blood, and a lot of it, I sucked in a breath, wondering where it had all come from.

  “How is he?” Tully demanded.

  “Check the pack bonds,” was Frank’s tired reply. “Sasha, he’s asking for you.”

  The girl straightened, her eyes flaring to yellow. “He’s not going to give me away, is he?”

  Frank laughed. “Not a chance, sweetheart. Sanders was trying to piss him off. Sanders sends his apologies, Tully. He had to make a sincere effort to get through to Richard, and while he had an unmated wolf on call, he didn’t want to resort to that unless necessary.”

  “I didn’t like it,” Sasha declared, taking hold of her father’s hand.

  I tightened my hold on the pen, so annoyed I wanted to stab it into the desk. Instead, I set it aside, grabbed my choker, and put it on. “Does that mean I can go back to my room now?”

  “It should be fine,” Frank said. “He’s so weak Alex isn’t having any problems with him. You stay away from him, Nicolina. He’s going to be unpredictable, and while Sasha’s safe from him, you and your sister are not.”

  While I didn’t like Richard, he hadn’t shown the same violence I had seen from other Fenerec, although he had startled me when he had attacked the strange woman with Alex. Puzzled, I stared at Frank before remembering I wasn’t supposed to look the Fenerec in the eyes.

  “Why?” I demanded, lowering my gaze to Frank’s chin.

  Frank chuckled. “It’s winter, Nicolina. He’s injured, and he’s not thinking clearly. Unless you want to take him to bed with you, I’d keep your distance unless your father’s with you. Let’s not give Richard any more reasons to wallow when he’s coherent. While your father would probably forgive him, let’s not test our luck.”

  My face burned at the idea of sleeping with Richard. It was one thing to have him in my room as a puppy I could kick, but another matter entirely as a man. “Oh.”

  “Go to bed. You’re not thinking straight either.”

  “Why’s Sasha safe from him, then? She doesn’t have a mate.”

  Frank shook his head, making room so Tully and Sasha could pass him. “Richard performed the ritual. If he was going to take her as a mate, he would have during her first winter rut. He didn’t. They’re incompatible. You and your sister are the currently eligible females. Just trust me on this one. Don’t go anywhere near Richard unless your father tells you to.”

  I clenched my teeth and narrowed my eyes. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him anywhere near my sister.”

  The thought of Richard sleeping with my sister angered me so much that after Frank, Tully, and Sasha left, I woke Lisa by yanking the blanket out from under her and dumping h
er onto the floor.

  The steady stream of cars coming and going kept me awake. I rolled onto my stomach and covered my head with my pillow. My bed smothered my frustrated scream. The crunch of gravel outside announced another car departing.

  My phone informed me it was two in the afternoon. My stomach grumbled its protests at having missed breakfast, not that I’d been all that interested in food while worrying about what was going on downstairs. If what Sanders had said was true, Richard had almost died.

  I didn’t want to believe it—or acknowledge I was the reason for what had happened. If I had taken the train or convinced my father to let me drive back from Stanford, my parents never would have been at the airport. If I had told them I could take a cab home, they would have been safe at home. They would have learned about the crash without so many people being around.

  If what Sanders had said on the phone was true, if I hadn’t been kidnapped by the four Fenerec, Richard wouldn’t have fought with my father.

  By hiding a rattlesnake in his shoes and trapping Richard’s door, had I contributed to what had happened to him? To make matters worse, we had left him behind to fend off the Coulee City Fenerec on his own, unaware the pack lurked in the woods behind our house.

  Making another frustrated noise in my throat, I sat up, grabbed my pillow, and threw it at the door.

  It smacked my father in the face. I squeaked, slapping my hands to my mouth. “Sorry!”

  Stooping down, he picked it up and launched it back at me. I gasped and ducked. It thumped against the wall and fell to the floor.

  “Why are you up here screeching like a banshee? We can hear you all the way downstairs.”

  “It’s the cars,” I complained, sliding to the edge of the bed and crossing my arms over my chest. “Every time I almost get to sleep, another one comes and goes. It’s driving me crazy.”

  My father smiled, came into my room, and sat down beside me. “Sorry, Nicolina. It’s Richard’s pack. I can’t deny them a chance to see him, but he’s not up for seeing more than a handful at a time. I did manage to find a hotel able to take most of them for tonight so they can spend Christmas together. Your mother’s starting to snap since she wants to start dinner, and I think I heard her growling something about presents. Your sister got up an hour ago and has been staring at the closet door rather insistently for some reason.”

  “You got her a devil kitten; she doesn’t need anything else for Christmas,” I grumbled.

  “You will be pleased to know the devil kitten is currently asleep in her box. She had her bottle a while ago.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “I can’t believe you like that monster.”

  “I admire her tenacity.”

  “If Lisa’s downstairs, where’s Richard?”

  “Downstairs.”

  I frowned. “Frank said we shouldn’t go near him.”

  My father surprised me by wrapping his arm around me and kissing my forehead. “Don’t worry about it, baby. His pack has tired him out. Richard’s out cold on the couch. Frank’s taking Tully and Sasha to the hotel while he’s not awake to protest. I called in a few favors with some friends. His pack will be flying back out to Yellowknife tomorrow afternoon on a few chartered flights. Alex will be staying for a few days until we’re certain Richard’s recovered. Come on downstairs instead of sulking up here.”

  “I’m not sulking!”

  “I suppose you are a bit too vocal for a proper sulk,” my father agreed. With a wolf-yellow gleam in his eyes, he stood, grabbed me by the waist, and threw me over his shoulder. “Your mother has declared all puppies are to be downstairs. I also have something interesting to show you.”

  I knew better than to hit my father hard, but it didn’t stop me from balling my hands into fists and drumming his back in protest. “Put me down!”

  “Puppies don’t tell their sires what to do,” my father countered, ignoring my struggles and carrying me down the hall towards the stairs.

  Standing on chairs was bad enough, but going down two flights of stairs while being carried was far, far worse. I closed my eyes and hid my face in my father’s shirt, clutching his shirt in the fear he’d drop me.

  “Silly puppy,” he chided, laughing at me. When he made it to the bottom, he set me on my feet, gave me an affectionate slap, and shoved me in the direction of the kitchen. I scowled, turning to face him.

  True to my father’s word, Richard was on the couch, his head nestled on his brother’s lap. Alex reminded me a lot of his brother with the same brown hair and similar eyes. Our gaze met, and out of reflex, I lowered my gaze, though I sneaked peeks through my lashes.

  Like a wolf, Alex looked me over, probably trying to decide if I was a threat. Either I passed inspection or he didn’t care enough to get up, he resumed running his fingers through his sleeping brother’s hair.

  Richard was pale, lying so limp I questioned whether or not he was still alive. My guilt reared its ugly head, and determined not to blush or lose my temper, I drew a deep breath.

  I would be polite to Richard’s brother. It wasn’t Alex’s fault I was angry at Richard—and myself—for what had happened.

  “Hello,” I said, spun on a heel, and stalked into the kitchen.

  The devil kitten was in her box as my father had promised, but her box was on the table next to my sister. She wasn’t sleeping, instead mewling and pawing at the bottle Lisa was holding for her. I bared my teeth and growled, “Devil kitten.”

  “Her name is Cindy,” my sister corrected, glowering at me. “What is your problem with my kitten?”

  “Now, now, Lisa,” my mother said, pointing her spatula at my twin. “You know full well your sister doesn’t like cats. Stop taunting her. You got your kitten. Be grateful and do as you promised, which included not tormenting Nicolina.”

  “She got a pet, too. Dad told me she got one,” Lisa countered.

  I straightened, turned to my father, and stepped to him, jabbing his chest with my finger. “About my pet, Father.”

  “Do you like him?” my father asked, grinning down at me. He kissed the top of my head. “I thought he was a lovely reward for surviving your first quarter at Stanford.”

  “Pedro is attempting to teach Kitty Killer how to fulfill his duties in order to pay for his share of the rent,” I said, prodding my father again.

  “Kitty Killer?” Lisa demanded.

  Spinning to face my sister, I rested my hands on the table, leaning towards her, careful to keep out of the kitten’s reach. “He’s black, silver, and as pink as Mr. Murphy’s Porsche. I’m still not sure if he has more eyes than he does legs. Dad bought me a spider,” I hissed.

  “Dad got you a spider,” she echoed, straightening in her seat, glancing past me at our father. “I will not begrudge your dislike of Cindy. Dad, you hate her. You truly hate her, don’t you?”

  “If I hated her, I would have gone to a shelter and adopted a second orphaned kitten just for her. The only reason I permitted you to keep Cindy was that the little beast was crying for help on my doorstep,” my father said, coming up behind me to ruffle my hair. He grabbed my elbow, lifting my arm to show my sister my charm bracelet. “Don’t feel too sorry for your sister, Lisa. She’s even wearing both of the charms I purchased for her—see, one looks just like her new pet.”

  “I wanted a puppy,” I complained, crossing my arms.

  “Pedro doesn’t allow puppies in his apartments, sorry Nicolina,” he replied. “He hatched that little spider from his own collection, too. If you end up liking tarantulas, he’ll breed a female for you in a few years. He recommended a male as they do not live as long as the ladies do.”

  I frowned. “How long will Kitty Killer live?”

  “Five or so years,” he replied. “Perhaps you should ask Pedro if he’ll let you breed him with one of his other females. You could fill your tank with the descendants of Kitty Killer.”

  I glared at Lisa’s kitten. “That thing’ll be terrorizing us for at least fifteen years.”<
br />
  “I told you, Charles. You should have gone with the female spiderling. Maybe that Venezuelan one Pedro swore would try to kill her given half a chance. They’d be well matched,” my mother said, smirking at my father.

  “No way. Kitty Killer’s already plotting my demise, I’m sure of it,” I grumbled, sitting down across from my sister to watch her feed her kitten. Its eyes still weren’t open, and it pawed at the bottle. “What kind of monster is it?”

  “Maine Coon,” my father replied, grinning at me. “She’ll only weigh twenty or so pounds when she’s fully grown.”

  I shuddered, trying to imagine a cat larger than Richard when he was pretending to be a puppy. “You brought the Satan of the cat world into our house. You may as well have gotten her a lion or a tiger, Dad.”

  “She’ll have a mane and everything,” my father said, poking my nose. “I will admit, her breed did make a difference in my allowing Lisa to keep her. The vet warned me kittens without their mothers tend to be more aggressive, but I think Cindy and I have reached an understanding.”

  The thought of my father browbeating the kitten made me balk. Maybe I didn’t like cats, but no one deserved my father at his worst, not even Richard.

  “You mean I reached an understanding with Miss Cindy,” my mother said, narrowing her eyes at my father.

  “You may have facilitated the kitten’s understanding of how things will work in our den.”

  I tried scooting my chair away from my father, but he circled my shoulders with an arm and held me in place. “Where do you think you’re going, little one?”

  My sister smirked at me. “Busted.”

  “Don’t gloat too much, Miss Lisa,” my father chided. “You haven’t opened your Christmas presents yet. Perhaps I actually hate you more than your sister, and felt that because you did get to keep Miss Cindy, all you’re getting this year is the coal you’ve rightfully earned.”

  “Dad!”