by E A Price
Ed felt troubled. He knew Jennifer and Arthur were going through a tough time. He didn’t know what the problem was exactly, but he believed it stemmed from the issue of having pups. But, Helena’s interference in their lives was definitely not a good thing.
“You don’t think Arthur and Helena…”
Olivia bit her lip. “I hope not. I tried asking Helena about why Arthur invited her, but she just dodged the question. I feel so bad for Jennifer.”
Ed groaned. He really hoped Arthur wasn’t as dumb as he had been and hadn’t allowed the vapid she-wolf to get her claws into him. Arthur and Jennifer weren’t true mates, but they had been besotted with each when they first got married.
“If something does happen it’s your fault,” said Ed a little more forcefully than he intended. “That bitch is crazy.”
Olivia was a little surprised and looked away from him. “I’m sorry; she wasn’t always like this. She changed after her dad…”
Ed relented and rubbed her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Olly. I didn't really mean what I said.”
She gave him a watery smile. “You haven’t called me Olly in ages.”
He smiled and enveloped his little sister into a warm hug.
She frowned. “Seriously, I didn’t want Helena here, but Arthur invited her and then she invited Kurt… and I didn’t have the heart to tell them they weren’t welcome.”
Ed raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t invite Kurt? I thought you two were dating?”
Olivia blushed furiously. “We’ve been on a few dates but nothing’s happened. We have nothing in common.”
Ed rubbed the back of his neck. “Neither do Kim and I,” he admitted ruefully. But they were pretty damn happy. His beast wagged his tail and agreed with that whole-heartedly.
She smiled. “I like Kim; I’m really happy for you.”
He grinned. “Thanks, at least I have two family members on my side.”
Olivia pouted. “You know you could have introduced Kim to us sooner. I mean, I can understand you not wanting her to meet Mom and Dad or even Grandmother, but you could have introduced her to me, or Jonathan or…” she licked her lips, “or Will.”
Ed looked at her askance. “What’s going on between you two? Has something happened?”
Olivia paled but immediately looked relieved as their eldest brother’s irritable voice told them to hurry up.
She quickly wiped the deer in headlights look off her face and ran into the dining room. Ed followed her with slightly less enthusiasm. He soon perked up when he saw his beautiful mate already seated. It kind of pissed him off that she was already sat between Will and Jonathan, but that didn’t matter. His wolf snarled, alright maybe it mattered a little, but just seeing her was enough to calm him, and make him believe that he was ready for the upcoming onslaught of lunch with his family.
*
“So, Kim, are you willing to sign a prenup?”
Kim almost choked on the water she was drinking. Ed roared at his father. The rest of the family went quiet; the silence was almost deafening.
“A what?” she managed to choke out.
Ed’s father, Harold Sr. wiped his mouth on his napkin and carefully folded it. “As I’m sure Ed has explained to you, if he marries you he will have to leave the pack and will be cut off from his allowance entirely.”
Kim looked at Ed who in turn gave her a sheepish grin. “No, actually I wasn’t aware.”
A look of hurtful uncertainty passed over her face. Ed’s eyes shone amber as he felt his claws growing, and his wolf pushing him to shift.
“I was going to tell her in my own time.” He looked directly at Kim. “It’s not important.”
She met the hard gaze of Ed’s father. “If that’s what you want, I’ll sign one.”
“No!” growled Ed, “I don’t want you to.”
Kim shrugged. “It doesn’t matter either way…”
“It matters to me!”
The argument was interrupted as Judy started spluttering. Everyone looked at her in concern; her eyes bulged, her face turned bright red, and she started clutching at her throat. Olivia jumped up and ran to her, and started trying to loosen her shirt.
Will and Kim rushed over to her.
“Is she choking?” asked Will.
With wide, scared eyes, Olivia shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Kim felt Judy’s head. “Crap, she’s burning up. Ed, get some ice bags.”
“On it.” He tore off through the house.
The pups started murmuring, and Christine and Jennifer quickly corralled them out of the room.
“Mommy?” asked Jamie.
“Go with Christine, baby,” panted Kim as she tried to hold onto Judy, who had started shaking.
Jennifer scooped Jamie up and ran out of the room.
“What’s wrong with her?” demanded Harold Jr.
“I’m a bartender, not a freaking doctor – how should I know?” snapped Kim.
Harold harrumphed but didn’t say anything. He was too busy gawking like everyone else in the room.
Ed skidded back in the room, and they started pressing the cold ice against her burning skin. Judy was whimpering in pain.
Kim flicked her eyes to Marie. “Does she have any allergies?”
Ed’s grandmother raised her eyebrows. “How should I know? She’s paid to look after me; I’ve no idea what her health is like.”
Kim gave her a stern look, but it was completely lost on the selfish, older she-wolf.
“I don’t think she does,” said Olivia in a rush. “We were talking the other day and I told her I was allergic to strawberries and I’m sure she told me she didn’t have any allergies, but she said she had a cold and her nose was blocked and she couldn’t scent things very well at the moment,” babbled Olivia.
“Thanks.” Kim tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it probably came out as more of a grimace under the circumstances.
Judy kept spluttering but didn’t seem able to speak.
Kim stilled as she scented something very familiar and very worrying. Her wolf roared in a mixture of fury and fear. This was bad. “We should get her back to her room. Jonathan, Will?”
The two males nodded and easily supported the shuddering she-wolf. They took her out of the room as quickly as they could, with Olivia trailing behind. Unsure what else to do, the other family members followed.
Ed was about to go with them when Kim grasped his arm. He gave her a searching look.
Kim picked up the teacup Judy had been drinking from. She sniffed it and turned a little green before passing it to Ed. “What do you smell?”
He looked at her curiously but did as he was told. He almost retched at the faint yet deadly smell. It was masked slightly by peppermint, but it was still there. Wolfsbane.
Chapter Eleven
Kim quietly let Ed into her room. Jamie was already asleep, so Kim locked the door and led him into the bathroom. It had been a long day. She pulled the door closed and sat down on the toilet with a loud sigh. Ed perched on the edge of the bath and twisted a rubber duck in his fingers.
After they had got Judy back to her room, they had made her vomit as much as she could and then, after lengthy discussion, had her drink milk to soothe her burning throat. No one in the house other than Judy had any clue about medical matters. As it turned out, Judy was a retired nurse and would have been the best person to handle the situation. But of course, she wasn’t in any shape or form to do so.
After she had vomited, no one had any idea what to do. Someone said that what she really needed was a cup of tea. Others said water and somebody else mentioned that red wine had restorative powers… Honestly, it was like having The Muppets try to handle a medical emergency.
It was finally agreed on that milk might be the best thing. It was noted that milk was the best thing to drink when you were eating a very hot curry, and since her throat was burning… No one else came up with any better ideas. So milk it was, combined with the strongest p
ainkillers they could muster. Then, it was just a matter of waiting for Judy’s natural shifter abilities to heal her.
Olivia volunteered to stay with her overnight, just in case anything happened. When Will heard that wolfsbane was involved, he insisted that he stay too. Even the smallest dose of toxic wolfsbane put wolves on edge.
Finding the poison had the small benefit of at least leaving all his family members speechless. Although, not for long.
All the males in the family had insisted on inspecting the teacup themselves. Inevitably, they all confirmed the same thing that both Kim and Ed already had. The cup contained the poison.
Ethel and George, the housekeepers, had been grilled about whether they had brought wolfsbane into the house, but they fervently denied it, and the Alpha, currently frothing with anger, had believed them.
But then, that meant that someone else had brought wolfsbane into the house…
It was suggested by Arthur that maybe Judy had brought it with her and that she had accidentally poisoned herself. Or maybe tried to commit suicide.
Everyone relaxed when that theory was put out there, because it meant that none of them had done it and, ergo, they didn’t have to start suspecting their family members and friends.
Although matters weren’t helped when Marie casually mentioned that the cup was meant for her. Judy had tried to give her the cup of peppermint tea, but Marie refused, citing that she’d had enough tea to last her a lifetime. So Judy had decided to drink it herself.
It wasn’t said, but there was a hope that Judy would be able to give them a bit more information, once she had recovered.
The weather was still raging outside, and trying to travel anywhere was impossible. Nobody was getting any cell reception, and the CB radio they had wasn’t getting a response. They were stuck there indefinitely.
Marie gleefully told them that it was like an Agatha Christie novel. Kim disagreed; the situation was nowhere near as fun as reading a crime novel.
As it stood, they were waiting for Judy to get better. Currently, everyone was trying to carry on as normal while trying not to cast suspicious glances at one another. And everyone was keen to get their own drinks.
Kim was refusing to let Jamie go anywhere without her. Her snarling wolf wouldn’t allow it.
Ed caught Kim’s eyes and they both let out nervous laughs. She rubbed her arms. “Are we gonna talk about what’s happening?”
“I’m not even sure what is happening.”
Kim bit her lip. “Do you think someone might be trying to kill your grandmother?”
Ed watched her closely. “That seems like the most likely solution.”
“I take it you’re not hoping for the accidental ingestion option?”
He laughed hollowly. “I’m a realist. Judy’s a wolf shifter - just like us. I can’t believe she would carry around wolfsbane, much less accidentally put it in her tea.”
“But, why would someone want to kill your grandmother?”
“Other than her personality?” he asked flippantly.
She scowled. “No jokes, please. I don’t think I can take it right now.”
Ed snagged one of her hands and brought it to his lips. “I’m sorry. But all I can think is that it's about money. When she dies, my dad and all my siblings, we’re all going to inherit a lot of money.”
Kim looked at him doubtfully. “But killing…”
“A lot of money, gorgeous," he reiterated. "You may be able to live on a bartender’s salary, but those people out there can spend your weekly salary on champagne in one night. It’s a motive enough for any of us and our spouses.”
Her wolf whined indignantly. “Not you, though. You could never do that.”
Ed smiled at his mate. “No, not me. But…”
“But, you think that others might be capable?”
He fidgeted. “You have to understand, Kim, my family isn’t like your family, and my pack isn’t like your pack. We don’t stay together because we love each other and we want to support one another, it’s just… just…”
Kim arched an eyebrow. “Business?”
“Something like that.”
“So who do you think… you know… did it?” She rolled her shoulders unhappily. The whole matter made her uncomfortable.
“Helena.”
Kim groaned, but her wolf howled in agreement. The thought had occurred to her, and yes it would suit her jealous beast down to the ground if it were Helena, but… she wasn’t ready to hang the woman out to dry based on her own dislike.
“Do you really believe that? Or are you just saying that because you don’t like her?”
“Wellll…”
“Ummm hmmm. Out of all of us, I would say she had the least motive. She isn’t going to inherit anything, and she isn’t either dating or married to someone who is.”
“Or engaged,” he put in as he rubbed his thumb over her ring finger.
“Or engaged,” she echoed sadly.
His wolf rumbled at Ed; their mate was worried, and he needed to do something. He knelt in front of her. “I won’t let anything happen to you or Jamie.”
Tears danced in her eyes, threatening to tumble. “I know, I do know that, I just… I can’t help but feel worried. I’ve seen what wolfsbane can do to a wolf shifter, and it’s not pretty.”
Kim shivered, and her wolf whined pitifully. When she was young, her father, as his wolf, had been caught in a hunter's trap laced with wolfsbane. He hadn’t been caught in the trap for long, but it was long enough to seep into his wounds. It had been horrific. He’d managed to pull through, but he wasn’t quite the same again, and he died a few years later. It wasn’t something she wanted to go through again.
Ed leaned up and cupped her face. “I know, gorgeous, I know. We’ll be fine.”
“You know, if I don’t get a chance later, please let me thank you for bringing me here to meet your family.”
Ed held his breath waiting for her anger or her frustration to hit him, but it didn’t come. Instead, she smiled. “I thought you said no jokes.”
“Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
She kissed him, devouring his mouth in a surprisingly steamy kiss. She drew back breathing heavily. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
*
20th February
Kim quietly let herself into Judy’s room. Jamie was with Ed while Kim was checking on Judy. It had been a long, sleepless night, imagining poisoners in every shadow of her room.
She was surprised to find the room empty, other than Judy, who was dozing in bed. Kim checked on her; thankfully, she looked a little less red than yesterday.
Kim sniffed and followed her nose to the bathroom. She strained her ears and heard whispered words.
“Why the hell did you invite him? Did you think it’s funny seeing me suffer? Are you trying to throw him in my face?” Will asked.
Olivia’s voice was quiet and laced with hurt. “No! I would never. Will, I don’t want to see you hurt. This is hard for me too.”
He huffed at her. “Hard for you?! You know what? Do whatever you want! Marry that asshole for all I care, because I give up!”
Will strode out of the bathroom, and froze when he spotted Kim.
“Will, please!” Olivia followed, also stilling when she saw Kim.
Will opened his mouth to say something but then thought better of it and quickly slipped out of the room. Olivia stared at the closed door.
Kim pretended she hadn’t noticed and felt Judy’s forehead. Mercifully, it was cooler than the day before. “How is she?”
Olivia folded her arms. “Well, she stopped moaning at about 2am and asked for something to drink. We gave her some milk and then she went back to sleep.”
Kim nodded and sat down in an armchair. “You can go; I can stay with Judy.”
Olivia shook her head and sat down. “Nowhere else to go,” she muttered.
“Is everything okay?”
“Do you remember the fi
rst time you realized you loved Ed?” asked Olivia abruptly.
Kim blinked at the younger she-wolf. “Well, yes I do.”
Kim smiled dreamily; she was pretty sure that she loved him about ten minutes after she met him.
Olivia shifted around on her seat, a perfectly miserable look on her face. “How did you tell him?”
Kim tried not to flush. The first time she told him was a little kinkier…
*
18th November
Kim smiled naughtily as she watched Ed strip. The night before had been the full moon and she had practically ran all over the woods twice tiring herself out; her libido, however, had not taken the hint and instead was currently sky rocketing.
He’d just arrived at her house, and she was eager to be with him. Ed had suggested going out to a restaurant, but it had been two weeks since they were last together, apart from occasional phone sex, and she needed him.
Her mom was staying at her boyfriend’s house, and Jamie was at a sleepover – the house was empty and the opportunity was too good to miss. They could be as loud and kinky as they wanted.
When it came to bedroom antics, she was no prude, and she did like to spice things up every now and then. Thankfully, so did Ed. Although, she couldn’t imagine she would ever suggest something he wouldn’t be up for. They’d already had a little fun with handcuffs, and she blushed to think of their foray into spanking, but tonight she knew what she wanted.
She stripped out of her t-shirt and panties and kneeled on the bed. She pulled a pillow under her head and leaned down, laying her head on one side to watch him. The bed dipped, and he knelt behind her, pressing his hot flesh against hers. She bit her lip as tingles cascaded through her body.
“Are you ready, gorgeous?” he asked in hoarse excitement. His wolf was practically leaping around at what they were about to do. He had already claimed her mouth and her sex, and now he was going to claim her completely.
“Mmmm hmmm,” she murmured as he pushed two fingers into her tight channel.
He let out a rumble of pleasure at finding her so wet and ready. Within seconds, he replaced his fingers with his manhood. He slowly thrust in and out of her as he retrieved the lube Kim had placed on the bed.
