by R. J. Blain
Contents
Copyright
The Power of a Word
Bonds
The Value of a Life
Shattered
Index
Titles by RJ Blain
Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 5
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
For more information or to contact the author, please visit rjblain.com
Special thanks to Brooke Johnson (http://brooke-johnson.com)
The Power of a Word
Despite all of her efforts and carefully cultivated hatred for Richard Murphy, Nicolina Desmond craves his company—and more. Determined to choose her own fate, she puts Richard to the test, and discovers what sort of man he is.
~~*~~
I didn’t realize how wealthy Richard was until I saw his house.
His home’s multiple levels cascaded down a mountainous cliffside to meet the trail at the bottom. While pine and birch groves littered the surrounding valleys, nature didn’t dare to approach his doorstep. Covered bushes—likely Richard’s prized roses—lined the walkway, waiting for spring.
Richard parked his snowmobile among the others littering the end of the trail, grabbing a tarp from a covered bin to protect it from the snow and ice. While I gawked, he lifted my helmet off my head, tucking it under his arm.
“That’s not a house, it’s a fortress,” I informed him. “Where are the cannons?”
“Hidden behind secret trap doors so invaders are taken completely by surprise,” he replied. “I’m pretty sure there’s even a trebuchet up there somewhere.”
“Let me guess: you crashed your jet trying to land it, got bored, and had someone build you a castle so you could pretend to lord over Canada until it was repaired.”
“Hardly. The house owned by the previous Alpha was a piece of shit and couldn’t fit the kids during the winter full moons, so when I inherited it, I tore it down and expanded it.” Richard led the way to the front door, which was flanked by a pair of stone lions. “He was a cheap, greedy bastard. Maybe if he had done his job right in the first place, a lot of things would be different.”
I flinched, swallowed, and in my desperation to change the subject, I pointed at the statues. “Really, Richard? Lions? I can’t go into a house guarded by cats. Nope. I have a strict no-cat policy.”
“Fortunately, these cats won’t break free of their stone cocoons unless provoked or summoned.”
“Great. Feline gargoyles. Next you’ll tell me they can fly,” I muttered.
Digging out his keys, he unlocked the front door, stepping aside to let me in. “Ladies first.”
“You really lock your doors out here? What, are you afraid a moose will come barging in?” I eased my way past the lions, and once I was by them, I stuck my tongue out at the statues before hopping inside the house.
Richard’s front door led to China. Paper lanterns decorated with koi and dragons hung from golden chains, illuminating the foyer in a red glow. Black lacquer mirrors painted with golden trees and dragons lined the walls. The black and gold marble floor was offset with a red and orange rug depicting a phoenix. The benches flanking the door were of redwood and black leather with golden stitching.
“Well, that explains the lions,” I spluttered.
“It seemed fitting at the time.” Richard rolled his shoulders and winced before peeling out of his snowsuit and boots. One of the mirrors hid a walk-in closet filled with winter gear, shoes, and boots. “Hand me your stuff. I’ll hang it up.”
“There were a lot of snowmobiles outside. Where is everyone?” Shucking out of the suit, I handed it to Richard, who shook it out and hung it on the rack next to his. I kicked off my boots, which thunked to the rubber mat serving as the closet’s floor.
“The second level, which has the majority of the guest rooms and everything needed to keep the kids amused for the next few days. It also limits the destruction to one section of the house. The second floor is also where the kitchen and dining room are, although there is a kitchenette up on the top floor as well.” Richard sighed, shaking his head. “The fourth floor is where Alex and I live. Our offices are up there, as well as a few guest bedrooms. You’ll be staying there unless you want to join the others.”
“So what are this floor and the third floor for?”
“Hell if I know. I think I was drunk when I had this house designed. There’s a sitting room, a den, and a library down here, as well as an entertainment room plus bar. In the summer, you can reach the back yard and garden from here. The third floor has the pool and not much else.”
“You have a pool in the house?” I blurted.
“Are you kidding? It has to be in the house or it’d just be an ice rink most of the year.” Richard shook his head, heading into the next room. “I have plenty of swimsuits if you’d like to swim. You’ll probably have the pool all to yourself once the full moon rises. The kids will be too busy with their scavenger hunts and other games to bother with the pool.”
China made way for a hallway depicting India, featuring tapestries of elephants and birds brought to life through elaborate beadwork. Chandeliers fashioned into golden lotuses hung from the ceiling. A lotus-themed mosaic in blue, red, and gold decorated the floor. Instead of proper doorways, steepled arches and beaded curtains led into the adjacent rooms.
“Were you drunk or infected with a severe case of wanderlust?”
“Possibly both. I haven’t been to China or India. Maybe one day. Do you mind waiting for the complete tour later? I don’t know about you, but I’m tired, and as soon as people figure out I’m back, I’ll be lucky to get any sleep at all,” Richard grumbled.
Something bothered me about Richard’s request, but I couldn’t quite figure out what. In Seattle, Richard and Frank had spoken of Yellowknife with affection, but all I heard in the Alpha’s voice was dread. “Later’s fine.”
“I’ll show you how to get to the pool level at the very least. There’s a hot tub there, which should be about as good as a jacuzzi. Yes, there is a jacuzzi, but it’s in my bedroom. This staircase goes to the third floor only.” Richard grinned at me, slipping through a beaded curtain featuring glass dolphins, glittering spheres, and white birds. A door waited beyond, and Richard opened it by punching in a code on a keypad. A staircase curved upwards.
Windows set into the staircase looked out over the brush and trees. The door at the top was painted in a seashell and ocean motif, and it also required a code.
When I thought of an indoor swimming pool, I imagined the concrete and tile monstrosities found in many schools. Instead, the lagoon of a long-lost island stretched out before me with stony shores and palm trees arching over the clear water. A mural of a jungle landscape decorated one wall while the others were hidden by dense tropical foliage.
“On the other side of the mural is a window. In the late spring, I open it up so those swimming can enjoy the view outside.” Richard followed a stone path around the edge of the pool, ducking beneath palm fronds to a door hidden behind the waterfall. “You can dive from the falls if you’d like. The water’s plenty deep. The shallow end is four feet, though, so be mindful of that.”
“Holy shit, Richard. This is insane. How the hell do you afford the electricity for this?”
“My, my. Aren’t you a mindful lady today? The roof is covered with solar panels. Winter’s pricey, but the panels more than cover the costs for the rest of the year. The
lodge is also rigged with solar panels to help offset costs. Here are the changing rooms; you can find swimsuits in the closet. If there isn’t a name tag on the hanger, it’s free for you to use. Just hang your towel when you’re done with it.”
“If I kill you, can I have your pool?”
“No, but if you marry me, you can have the whole house,” he countered, winking at me.
Heat washed over my cheeks. “You really want to die, don’t you? You really do. You have a death wish. Maybe I’ll hang you upside down from the waterfall and let the water slough all your skin from your body.”
“You get points for creativity.”
“Just give me some time, I’ll come up with something better,” I grumbled.
“The hot tub is through that door if you want to use it. Fourth floor is this way.”
At first, I didn’t see the door until Richard tapped in a code on a keypad on the wall. When it popped open, Richard pushed through, holding it for me. A staircase led up to the next floor. “I’ll give you codes soon. There are six different codes you can enter, two of which are emergency codes for the alarm system. Everyone has their own set of codes so I can track who was where in the house. You’ll have more codes than most, since you’ll be allowed on the fourth floor. I may give you a master code for the entire house, if I have the time to program it in.”
“Emergency codes?”
“Rutting wolves don’t necessarily make wise decisions. If you input the code, the alarm system will emit the equivalent of a dog whistle. Fenerec can hear it, Normals can’t, and its range is pretty damned far. The sound should carry to the pack, which’ll warn us of trouble. There are two versions of the code which output a different variant of the sound. It’ll also notify the lodge. One code will notify the police. One code will not.” Richard paused at the stop of the steps, inputting another code. “This floor is typically off limits. Generally, only Alex and I come up here, but I thought you’d feel safer and more comfortable if you could make yourself a den without anyone intruding on you. Alex’ll be staying with the kids for the next few days.”
“And you’ll be with your pack.”
“Bingo. I’ll be blunt, Nicolina. Simon fucked up. He shouldn’t have even approached you, let alone have gotten close enough to force you to beat him off with your helmet. If you see him around here over the next few days, you punch in one of the emergency codes. No one is supposed to come near my house around the full moon during the winter, not without my permission.”
“Simon doesn’t have a mate.”
“Simon might be dominant, but he’s a world-class asshole who is a little too damned good at toeing the line. You have your dagger?”
“No, I didn’t bring it with me,” I admitted.
Richard growled, and his eyes glinted with yellow. “Then I’ll loan you a gun. I’ll expect you to keep it with you at all times. Simon’s young enough I don’t trust him or his wolf. Hell, I don’t trust any unmated wolves with you.”
“Even you?” I countered, scowling at him.
“If a wolf approaches you that you don’t want approaching you, you shoot him until he stops moving—and yes, that includes me.”
~~*~~
The fourth floor of Richard’s house felt like a home, trading extravagant luxury for worn simplicity. Like Sophie’s place, bookshelves served as the primary source of decor, with thousands of novels, textbooks, and magazines to choose from. Tattered rugs, carpeting worn in places, and leather couches roughened with age conspired to give the room a welcoming atmosphere.
Richard didn’t make it out of the first room before collapsing onto a couch, propping his feet up on the glass-topped coffee table. “Code is six-seven-three-nine-eight-nine to access the gun safe. It’s in there.” He pointed at a door tucked into the corner. “Choice of Beretta, Beemiller, or Glock. Magazines and clips are under each of the guns. Silver’s in the drawers on the lowest shelf. They’re solid shot instead of hollow point, so don’t count on the extra damage if you use it. They’ll get the job done, though, so don’t worry about that.”
Behind the door was another door, one made of steel. I punched in the code. A beep preceded the click of it unlocking. I pulled it open, whistling at the wealth of weaponry hidden within the safe, which proved to be larger than my bedroom. “You could equip an army with this. Why so many guns?”
“Most of the rifles are for hunting. I hold them for those in the pack who don’t want their guns near their kids. Some of the veterans and military personnel in the area also have kids and didn’t want their weapons anywhere near their families, so I hold them. I’m licensed for all of them, so it made sense. The ammunition safe is downstairs, with the exception of the three handguns. They’re the emergency weapons.”
“Right.” I grabbed the Beretta, checked the chamber for a round, and breathed a sigh of relief when it was empty. I loaded in a magazine, grabbed a holster, and buckled it in place around my hips. “I’ll take the Beretta.”
I grabbed two extra magazines with silver rounds just in case. I was almost tempted to take a full clip or two, but thought better of it.
If three magazines weren’t sufficient, I was already in a lot of trouble.
When I emerged from the safe, closing it behind me, Richard was rubbing his temples as though attempting to ward off a headache. “I’m sorry about Simon. He’s aggressive.”
“I’m not sorry I hit him.”
“Good.”
“Why are Fenerec like that? It’s like winter comes and all of their common sense vanishes in a poof of smoke.”
“Mating season,” Richard replied, sighing heavily. “It’s particularly difficult for younger Fenerec who haven’t quite figured out how to suppress their wolf’s instincts.”
I chose a couch nearby, sitting on the arm. “I figured that much out over the past few years with the Fenerec my father invited to our house.”
“Well, your father invited me to keep the Fenerec away,” Richard grumbled. “I’m supposed to be old enough to control myself.”
“You have him fooled. You’re about as mature as the average ten year old. Glitter bombs and stuffed spiders?”
“Hey, it worked. I’m sure all of your neighbors heard your screams.”
“Why don’t you want my sister?” I asked, watching him for his reaction.
Richard ran his hand through his hair, scratching his scalp. “You don’t pull your punches, do you? If I tell you, you won’t like the answer. You’re armed, and I know full well how good of a shot you are. I’d rather not end up with a bullet in my head today.”
“I solemnly swear I will not shoot you for answering my question.”
“You really want to know why?” He stood, the muscles of his cheek twitching. “Fine, I’ll show you. You may as well see the chaos, and if I don’t tell Alex I’m here, he’ll skin me alive. Come on. You may as well see the second floor.”
“The second floor? Where the kids are?”
“Exactly. Not all of them are kids, of course. There are plenty of teens your age. There’s also one pregnant mom and a miscellaneous assortment of adults, including Phillip’s mate, who is a nurse. Phillip was the wolf with Simon at the lodge. Last count, there’s a group of forty down there getting ready for one of the biggest sleepover parties of the year, the first of three.” Richard headed to a door across the room which had a keypad similar to the one leading to the third floor. “This door goes straight to the second floor.”
Tapping in a code, he opened the door and held it for me. I went through, taking the steps two at a time to the bottom. Reaching over my shoulder, Richard tapped in another code.
Sounds assaulted my ears, including shrill laughter, the murmur of conversation, and the occasional squeal. The door opened to a kitchen pantry stocked to feed an entire army for a year.
“Secret door in the kitchen pantry? Seriously, Richard?”
“Out of sight, out of mind. It also doesn’t waste space in here. As an added bonus, it startle
s people when Alex or I pop out of the pantry.”
“Richard Murphy, the Trickster God.”
“Beats being the Vehicular Death Goddess,” he countered, crossing the pantry to crack open the door. He stepped out into a spacious kitchen, and the conversation beyond came to a halt. “Any rumors of my demise have been exaggerated,” he announced.
“Oh, great. Who let you in here?” Alex demanded.
I poked my head out of the pantry. “Sorry, Alex. I tried to kill him, but he kept getting away.”
“Ah, Nicolina. As always, you are faultless.” Alex shoved Richard aside to give me a hug. “Feeling better?”
“Much,” I replied.
The two women in the kitchen with Alex were older, their gray hair contained in buns and covered with hair nets as they worked around the stove. They watched me with narrowed eyes.
While they acknowledged Richard with smiles, neither looked any higher up than his chin.
“Is there any reason you’re wearing Richard’s gun?” Alex asked, bending over to inspect the weapon. “That is yours, isn’t it, Richard?”
“Simon thought he’d try to sneak a nip at her at the lodge,” Richard said, his voice rumbling as though he was on the verge of growling.
Alex’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
Drawing a deep breath, Richard let it out in a slow, long exhale. “Very serious. Seeing as Miss Desmond responded by grabbing her helmet and smacking him in the face with it, she’ll be staying on the fourth floor with directions to shoot should anyone get into her personal space again without permission.”
Both of the women flinched but remained silent.
“Shit, Simon’s probably having a litter right now,” Alex muttered.
“Which is why she’s going to be staying upstairs.”
“You don’t think he’ll try to cause a problem, do you?”
