Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 3

by R. J. Blain

  My mother leaned out of the kitchen in the direction of the living room. “Don’t look so startled, Alex. Despite his reputation, Charles can’t seem to resist the charms of our daughters. Why don’t you come sit with us? Richard’ll be fine on the couch by himself. He hasn’t budged in two hours, and if he does, it’s not like one of us can’t get to him quickly.”

  Alex hesitated, resting his hand on Richard’s shoulder.

  “Alex,” my father said, twisting around to face Richard’s brother. “Come into the dining room and leave your brother alone. Frank promised he would call if there were any problems just in case we didn’t notice anything.”

  “I’m stuck,” Alex admitted sheepishly.

  “You’re stuck,” my mother echoed.

  “Whenever I try to move, Richard tightens his grip.” Alex sounded so embarrassed I twisted in my chair to stare at him. “I don’t want to wake him up dislodging him.”

  “If you wake him, he can come to the table, too,” my mother assured Alex.

  I ducked out of my father’s hold on me, got up, and headed into the living room, bracing my hands on my hips. From the other room, I hadn’t noticed Richard’s hold on Alex’s knee.

  There was a black stain around Richard’s wrist, matching where I had draped my choker over his paw when he had been a puppy. I felt Alex watching me, and when I glanced at him, he straightened.

  “Father, will he freak out if I peel his hand off Alex?” I asked, shaking my head at the absurdity of a full-grown man incapable of freeing himself from Richard while he was asleep.

  “If he wakes up, I’ll be very surprised,” my father replied. “Alex, if Richard wakes up, bite him.”

  “I’m not biting my brother. He’ll flatten me.”

  My father laughed. “He’ll cuddle you into submission and you know it. In his current state, Nicolina could whip him with a wet noodle.”

  I turned to face my father. “Can I?”

  “No, you may not beat Richard with pasta,” my mother replied.

  “Father?”

  “Your mother has spoken. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait on your pranks until your victim has recovered.”

  “I still owe him for the glitter,” I grumbled.

  “Don’t worry, my daughter. I’ve already made arrangements regarding the glitter,” my father assured me with a grin. “I’m afraid you’ll have to target him for a different sin. I’m sure you have a list of them.”

  “It’s endless,” I grumbled.

  “Glitter?” Alex asked.

  Laughing, my father joined me in the living room, perching on the arm of the couch near Richard’s feet. “My lovely daughter here left a rattlesnake in his shoes and a silver dagger for him to find. He gave the snake back, rather dead, on her pillow. Next, he left his shoes and socks, plus the knife, in her closet for her to find.”

  “You started a prank war with him? You are insane.” Alex shuddered. “I wouldn’t wish his shoes on anyone.”

  “He decided that wasn’t enough,” my father continued. “He trapped the attic. I don’t know how or why he thought Nicolina would go into the attic, but he got her good. I haven’t heard her scream so loud since she was little. He left a glitter bomb and a stuffed spider. It fell on her head.”

  Making an appearance in the archway, my mother crossed her arms over her chest. “What my mate isn’t telling you is that Richard had set a second glitter bomb, which Charles triggered, resulting in a certain photograph of him holding Richard while covered in silver, sparkly glitter. I’m having it framed.”

  “You are not!” my father protested.

  “Too late, darling. It’s already with the framers.”

  “Can I see this picture?” Alex asked.

  “Of course,” my mother replied. “Charles, be a darling and get your phone.”

  My father sighed, got up, and headed into the kitchen. “No inflicting injuries on Richard extricating Alex, Nicolina.”

  “Fine,” I agreed in a curt tone. Careful not to touch the black silver burn, I grabbed hold of Richard’s arm with one hand. With the other, I peeled his fingers off Alex’s knee one at a time.

  He grumbled a sleepy protest. When I had his hand off Alex, Richard struck. He pulled free of my grip, reached out, and with a slap of his arm against my back, he yanked me forward. I sprawled over Alex, my stomach pressed against Richard’s head.

  My head rested on Alex’s chest. Heat spread over my cheeks and down my neck.

  “Dad!” I wailed, not sure how to free myself without giving into my impulse to beat both of the Murphy brothers.

  Laughter answered my plea.

  “I told you,” Alex grumbled.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, horrified I was sprawled over a stranger with Richard beneath me.

  To make matters even more humiliating, Richard’s breath on my stomach tickled. I wiggled in my effort to escape. Richard shifted his hold on me, his hand shoving the back of my top up as he secured his grip.

  “At least he isn’t biting you,” Alex pointed out. “He’s nipped me at least ten times in the past hour when I tried to get comfortable. If I don’t have marks on my leg, I’ll be surprised.”

  “And you let him?” I replied, aghast.

  “Do you think he’ll take no for an answer?”

  I wanted to hide my face, but in order to keep from collapsing on Alex completely, I had to keep my hands braced against the back of the couch.

  I heard someone taking photographs.

  “Stop it,” I begged. “You don’t need to take photos of everything.”

  “Yes, we do,” my mother replied.

  “Mom!”

  “She’s going to die of embarrassment,” Lisa announced. My sister made an appearance, draping her arms over the back of the couch. She had her cell in her hand, and with a ruthless smile, she snapped a picture of me. “You’re so red, Nicolina.”

  “If you love me, you’ll kill me now,” I begged my twin.

  “Where’s the fun in that? You’re totally trapped. Richard’s got his revenge on you, and he’s asleep. Outclassed by someone who is unconscious. This is far too good to pass up, dear sister.”

  “Lisa!” I wailed.

  “Ladies, please,” Alex said, reaching around me to try to free me from his brother’s hold. “Damn, he’s like a leech. Sorry, Nicolina. He’s not always like this, I swear.”

  “Not always?” I demanded, trying to figure out if I was strong enough to yank free without Richard detaching my spine from the rest of me.

  “Once or twice a week. He’s shameless,” Alex complained. “Usually it’s Frank or Sasha who gets caught. He’s demented. He waits on the couch pretending he’s asleep. When one of us comes by, usually to cover him with a blanket, he grabs them and doesn’t let go until he’s satisfied. I’ve learned to approach him from the back of the couch. That usually keeps his grubby paws off.”

  “Pretending to be asleep?” I considered how best to inflict a world of pain on Richard. “Are you sure I can’t kill him?”

  “Is he growling?” my father asked.

  “He’s not growling,” Lisa reported.

  “Is he nipping her?”

  Alex squirmed beneath me to get a better look at his brother. “He’s keeping his teeth to himself, Mr. Desmond. My brother does not nip ladies, thank you. He’s even housebroken.”

  “Then there will be no Christmas murders, Nicolina. You got yourself into that situation, you can get yourself out of it,” my father replied, although he did sit on the arm of the couch to watch.

  “Dad, please,” I begged.

  Smiling at me, my father leaned against the couch, draping his arm over the back of it. “I thought you were just going to peel his hand off.”

  “Can’t you just pull free?” my sister asked.

  I shoved against the couch with all of my strength, but Richard held on too tightly, pulling me closer in retaliation. With a dismayed squeak, I ended up hunched over Richard’s head,
the rest of me pressed against Alex. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry.”

  Lisa laughed until she cried, pointing at me when she couldn’t speak without snorting.

  “I’m going to kill you, Lisa,” I snarled.

  “Oh, give me a break, Nicolina. You’re up close and personal with two gorgeous men. Enjoy it while you can,” my sister taunted.

  Alex flushed. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

  “Keep it up, Lisa. You might make her head explode,” my father encouraged. “I apologize for my daughters, Alex. They don’t know when it’s wise to stop. They get that from their mother.”

  “Charles Nicholas Desmond, do not make me come in there.”

  My father grinned at my mother. “Please, come in here. You’re better up close and personal.”

  “Charles!”

  I whimpered.

  “Let me see if I can get out from under him,” Alex suggested. “If I can, I can get him to let you go.”

  “Please,” I begged.

  While Alex was a Normal like me, he wasn’t weak. Working his hands under Richard’s head and shoulders, he rolled out from beneath us, crawling over the arm of the couch to make his escape.

  Without Alex supporting me, I ended up sprawled on the couch, Richard’s head still pressed close to my stomach. I clawed at the arm of the couch in my effort to follow Alex.

  “Let go of me, you caveman!” I demanded. In my frustration, I put my hands on Richard’s shoulders in my efforts to push away from him.

  “Relax, Nicolina. The more you struggle, the harder it’ll be to get him off,” Alex said, laughter in his voice. “Sasha plays dead. She goes completely limp and snuggles with him. He usually lets her go in maybe five minutes. You can last that long, can’t you?”

  “And why is he snuggling with Sasha? She’s what, ten?” I snarled.

  “Twelve. He snuggles her because she’s the pack’s youngest puppy, Nicolina. He adores her.” Alex chuckled. “Actually, I think most of the pack would pay top dollar to be in your shoes right now. They’ve been trying to get him to cuddle with them all morning.”

  “Well, I’m not his puppy, and he doesn’t adore me,” I snapped back, regretting that I hadn’t slept with my charm bracelet on. I didn’t have a single piece of silver on me. “I’m certainly not one of you. He hates me almost as much as I hate him. He left a snake on my pillow!”

  “Only after you left it in his shoes,” my father pointed out.

  “Seriously, Nicolina. Relax. The more you fight him, the tighter he’ll hold on,” Alex said, resting his knee on the couch beside his brother’s head. “Damn, he’s really asleep, too.”

  “How can you tell?” I asked, wondering if I was strong enough to beat Richard into letting me go. I doubted it.

  Alex grabbed Richard’s other arm, lifted it up, and it flopped to the cushion. “That, plus he’s snoring.”

  I quieted, listening. Sure enough, while he was quiet, Richard was snoring, though it sounded more like a growling rumble or a purr than anything else. “Just how do you expect me to relax like this?” I demanded.

  “It’s true, Nicolina doesn’t know how to relax. She has two modes of operation: on or off,” my father said, smirking at me.

  “Dad!” I wailed. “Get him off.”

  Holding up his hands, my father shook his head. “You’re not hurt, you’re not in trouble, and you’re not at any risk. As such, it’s your responsibility to get yourself out of the situation you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  “Traitor,” I hissed.

  “I am a tyrant of the highest order,” he agreed. “Alex, is there any reason we can’t just leave them there?”

  “He’ll either let her go when she’s relaxed and cuddled with him or he’ll wake up and let her go,” Alex said, shaking his head, grinning at me. “Sorry, Nicolina. Play dead, let him cuddle with you, and he’ll let you go. I promise. Otherwise, we’ll have to try to get him off by force.”

  “And as there will be no Christmas murders, there will be no use of force,” my father declared, hopping off the arm of the couch. “Want a drink, Alex? I’ve got some aged Scotch in the cabinet that could use some tender loving care. We’ll sit around and watch Nicolina try to escape Richard. Lisa, go get the camera. This is too good for cell photos.”

  My sister grinned at me, stuck out her tongue, and ran to obey our father, leaving me to struggle to free myself from Richard’s hold. Humiliated they were all watching me and infuriated the source of my embarrassment wasn’t even conscious to be held responsible, I narrowed my eyes, glared at Richard, and began coming up with a scheme to free myself from his hold—one that didn’t involve me cuddling with him.

  Richard wasn’t letting me go.

  After an hour of fighting with him, I was coming to the conclusion Alex was right. The only way I would ever get free was if Richard chose to release me. My father, mother, sister, and Alex lounged on the floor around the coffee table, watching with interest.

  My father had even given my sister a tumbler of whisky, which she enjoyed raising in my direction while they observed—and gave a running commentary—on my efforts.

  “You haven’t tried sexual assault yet,” my sister said, smirking as she took a sip of her drink.

  Murder was too good for my sister. When I got my revenge, I would make her suffer for a long time. Longer, perhaps, than Richard would for preying on her. I wanted to throw something at her, but I had already run out of pillows.

  I sighed. “Lisa, when I get free, I’m killing you.”

  “If you get free,” my sister retorted.

  “When you get free, we’ll be opening presents and having dinner,” my mother said, smirking at me. “Nicolina, you’re just stoking the fire by fighting him. You should know better. He’s an overprotective idiot, he’s asleep, and he probably thinks you’re one of his pack. His sense of smell is likely confused since there’s been so many people in and out of the house all day.”

  “I’m not cuddling with him,” I snarled.

  “Give it up, baby,” my father said, and like my sister had, he toasted me with his whisky. “Think about it. If he can force me to cuddle with him, you don’t stand a chance. Accept it and get it over with so we can open presents.”

  “I’m burning yours in the yard,” I snapped, once again trying to wiggle free of Richard’s grip. In an hour of struggling, all I had managed to do was turn so my back was facing him instead of my stomach.

  All in all, it was my only victory, and I flushed at the embarrassment of having Richard’s arm wrapped around me, his fingers splayed against my side. His hand was under my shirt, which fueled my humiliation.

  “Nicolina, just sit on the edge of the couch and stop fighting him. It’s instinct. You try to pull free, he strengthens his hold. That’s how it works,” my father said. “We’ll be here all night watching you if you don’t surrender. Your mom will hang me from the wall if we have to eat dinner in here because you’re too stubborn to let Richard have his way.”

  “Fine.” Sitting on the cushion, I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Richard shifted on the couch, and to my disgust and dismay, he wrapped his other arm around me.

  “This isn’t happening,” I groaned, ready to burst into tears from embarrassment.

  Alex bit his lip, probably to keep from grinning or laughing at me. “I’m really sorry, Nicolina. He just likes when people touch him. I told you he’s a leech.”

  “Lisa, you could just get my bracelet from my dresser. That’ll wake him up.” Drumming my fingers on my arms, I considered the ways I could force the Fenerec awake so he would release me.

  “No murders,” my mother said. “The only thing being murdered today is the turkey, which is already in its coffin in the oven.”

  “Delicious turkey corpse,” my sister said in a giggle.

  “Maybe we should take pity on her,” Alex suggested, setting his tumbler down on the coffee table. “Nicolina, do you want to know how you can get free
of him?”

  “I’ll do anything,” I begged.

  “Anything?” he replied, waggling his eyebrows at me.

  Slaughtering house guests went against every rule my father had ever set, but it didn’t stop me from hissing, “Including kill you in your sleep.”

  “Ouch. Rejected,” he said, pressing his hand to his forehead and slumping to the floor in a swoon.

  “No murders,” my mother warned.

  “Alex, how do I get free?” Drawing a deep breath, I whispered, “Please.”

  “You’ll have to twist around and face him,” Alex said. Breathing a relieved sigh that Richard’s brother was going to help me, I obeyed. It took me a few minutes to squirm and wiggle until I was seated sideways on the couch cushion, one of my knees jammed against Richard’s chest. His cheek pressed against the side of my leg.

  “Okay. What do I do?”

  “Fenerec have a lot of nerves in their neck, more than us Normals do. There’s a nerve near the base of his neck where it meets his shoulder. If you pinch it, not only will it hurt like hell, it’ll shock him into going limp. Just… get the right nerve,” Alex replied, rising from the carpet to circle the couch. “They have a lot of other nerves in their neck. Normally, Fenerec use their teeth, but you can hit them with a pinch or flick of a nail.”

  “What are the other nerves?” I demanded warily.

  “I don’t think you need to be teaching my daughters that,” my father chided.

  “What? It’s true.”

  I sucked in a breath, my face burning. “Oh. Those nerves.”

  My sister liked what the Fenerec did to her neck. Me? I couldn’t stand my instant reaction to Fenerec when they nipped at my throat.

  There was absolutely no way in hell I was going to even risk that, not with Richard. If I wanted him in bed with me, it’d be as a helpless, fluffy, and sinfully soft puppy.

  “Charles, you’re an idiot,” my mother said, laughing. “You know full well they already know. Grow up.”

  “Be nice, Wendy.”

  “Maybe later,” my mother flirted.

  “Mom!” I balled my hands into fists, considered hitting Richard or Alex, and drew a deep breath until the impulse faded. “Fine. I’ll pinch him. Where?”