Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 5

by R. J. Blain

  All I had to do was let a Fenerec touch my throat for that.

  I had presented Richard my throat, and he had lived up to his promise. He could have done a lot more than relax me, and I would have let him.

  But he hadn’t, and that made a world of difference.

  Richard remained silent, so still beneath me I wasn’t sure he was breathing.

  I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat. “You’re going to fall asleep. I’m going to make you relax, and you’ll enjoy it. You’ll rest. You’ll heal. When you wake up, you will know if you even think of looking at another woman, I will hunt you down and you will suffer for it. I’m not some cheap whore to be passed around and shared. I don’t share, either. I won’t be your leftovers.”

  “You’re not a cheap whore,” he snarled, tensing beneath me. “Never.”

  While I had said I intended to nibble on him, I lowered my hands to his throat, applying pressure so I could feel the throb of his heartbeat. “You can say no.”

  “I won’t.”

  As he had with me, I stroked his neck with my thumbs, watching him through narrowed eyes for his reaction.

  Halfway up his throat, he sucked in a breath, shuddering beneath me. He closed his eyes, his lips slightly parted. He made a soft sound, shivering when my I stilled my hands. His skin warmed, and a flush spread across his cheeks.

  I wanted him, but I would wait until he was rested. I would search his house, and if scent was such an issue, I’d find cologne of his I liked. I wouldn’t betray us to anyone.

  He was mine. If he was such a believer in scents, he’d never be able to escape mine. My first task would be to douse his things with his cologne or my perfume, so even weeks and months from now, those who knew him would remember my prank and not think twice about it.

  Massaging him with my thumbs, I held my breath, tense as I waited for his reaction. The tension flowed out of him, his breathing slowing to a steady, calm rhythm. I leaned forward, cocking my head to listen.

  What Alex described as a snore was more like the satisfied purr of a cat, rumbling in his throat with the rise and fall of his chest. I lifted my hands from his throat and sighed.

  Covering him with the blanket, I tucked him in, and both annoyed at myself and relieved, I retreated, turning the lights off as I went. “Sleep well, Richard.”

  Bonds

  Richard prepares himself for a lifetime of hunting Nicolina so he might claim her as his mate. However, Desmond’s daughter has plans of her own, and he has once again become her prey.

  ~~*~~

  The stiffness in my neck woke me, but the memory of Nicolina’s hands on my throat and the warmth of her kiss jolted me to full consciousness. I bolted upright, panting as though I had run a race.

  My mate wanted me.

  If anyone found out a little slip of a Normal girl had gotten so far under my skin, I was doomed. When her father learned the truth, he’d kill me. I had no idea how my pack would react. Yet, despite my worries, the thrill of the hunt surged through me, and contentment followed in its wake.

  My mate wanted me.

  There was no sign of her in my room. Throwing off the blankets, I staggered to my feet, stifling a yawn. The scent of coffee teased my nose. After I was properly awake, I’d deal with the consequences of my need for Nicolina. Even if Desmond killed me for courting one of his daughters, she was worth it.

  My wolf agreed.

  In a numb daze, I staggered into the kitchen, rubbing my stiff neck. I had called it a kitchenette to tease her, but it was easily large enough for a family—a family I wanted to form with her at my side. I yawned, staring blankly at my brother, who sat at the island.

  “The dead has risen,” he announced.

  I really would be dead if anyone—Alex included—found out about last night. Blinking at him sleepily, I groaned at him.

  “Or not.” Alex shoved a stool in my general direction, patting the counter in invitation. “Damn, Richard. Maybe you should go back to bed.”

  I considered it, sighed my resignation, and shook my head. If I went to bed, I’d want to take Nicolina with me. If I went down that road, I’d do something I’d regret. Until my mate was comfortable, until she accepted I truly desired her for everything she was, I would play the game her way.

  The next move belonged to her. All of the moves belonged to her.

  I belonged to her.

  For both of our sakes, I needed a cold shower and a trip to the lodge. I also needed to look through my collection of cologne and take my mate’s advice, finding one that would confuse my pack’s sense of smell. I had no idea how strong my mate’s scent would be—or was—on me, but I couldn’t afford to let anyone find out.

  If I wasn’t carrying her scent already, it’d only be a matter of time. An excited shiver ran through me, and determined to hide the truth from my brother, I decided playing zombie was my best option.

  “Coffee,” I pleaded, flopping onto the stool so I could slump over the counter. “Have mercy.”

  “I might have mercy, but the young lady enjoying the hot tub downstairs might not. Did you really fall asleep before the lawyer got eaten?” Alex laughed, patting my shoulder before heading to the coffee maker. “Glad to see you made it back home safe and sound. I’m surprised you came up to the house at all. Thought you would have stayed at the lodge.”

  “With Simon being an ass, I wasn’t going to let anyone else get her up here, and by then, I was too tired to head back to the lodge,” I confessed, torn between being jealous of my mate enjoying a soak and being very curious about what she was wearing.

  “Oh, good. You seem to have some common sense after all. What were you thinking? You scared the liver out of everyone. Then, about ten minutes after you taunted Desmond with that text, they were too caught up in the hunt to remember you had broken your neck.” My brother shook his head, pushing a mug of coffee in my direction. “How is your neck?”

  “Acceptable.”

  “Should I be calling the lodge to make sure they’re ready to feed ten when you head there?”

  “I won’t say no to breakfast, but Sophie took Frank’s worries to heart. Don’t worry, you’re not on the menu this morning,” I informed him, sipping my coffee. “No problems on the second floor?”

  Returning to his seat, my brother leaned on the counter, stifling a yawn. “No problems. I took the liberty of changing the codes for the second floor, effective in three hours. I wiped Simon’s codes, already effective. Only codes I’m giving to the guests are the ones to gain access to the third floor and the emergency codes.”

  “Good. With Simon rutting, I wish I could change the lock for the front door,” I grumbled.

  “Do you think he’ll try something?”

  Setting my coffee aside, I rubbed my temples. “Simon does exactly what Simon wants. I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m tempted to block access to the third floor just in case.”

  “I can block access to the third floor once the full moon rises if you think it’s necessary.”

  I drew in a deep breath, held it to the count of twenty, and let it out in a long, slow exhale. “Okay. Do it. Let’s not take any chances. I’ll find out if Nicolina wants access to the second floor and make a code specific for her if she does.”

  It’d take some programming, but I’d give her four codes: two emergency codes specific for her, a code for the second floor, and a code for the third floor. Once the full moon was over and I had the time to program it into the system, I would give her an all-access code allowing her to go where she pleased. Considering she hadn’t hesitated to smack Simon with her helmet, I wasn’t worried about her wanting Simon anywhere near her.

  I was, however, worried about driving her away if she felt I was trying to control her too much. If I had my way, I’d lock her on the fourth floor and ensure her safety until after the full moon.

  My wolf shared my concerns, which wasn’t helping any.

  “Breakfast at the lodge?”

  “Yeah
, I’ll go down to the lodge. I’ll check in with Nicolina, give her a set of codes, check over some work stuff, and then head out. I’ll get out of your hair so the Normals can relax.”

  “Most of them are feeling a bit guilty over last night,” Alex mumbled. “I think the fact Nicolina was so offended startled them.”

  “They could tell?” I asked, alarmed.

  My brother laughed. “She’s transparent. She looked so mad by the time you two had finished prowling the second floor, I really thought she was going to explode at them. Not undeserved, and I’ll admit it was a bit satisfying. It’s stupid. Why do you let them act that way? It’s not necessary, and you know it.”

  “Safer for them,” I evaded, flicking my fingers against my mug’s handle.

  “Bullshit, Richard. Everyone knows you’re the one who gets stalked and not the other way around. You could stay on the second floor right through the full moon, and I really doubt anyone would be all that worried. The whole shifting to a wolf thing might startle a few, but you have freakish control and everyone knows it. Hell, you can resist the change through the full moon just like a mated bitch when you really want to.”

  I grimaced. If Alex learned about my utter lack of control with my mate, he’d never let me live it down. Restraining myself so I wouldn’t nip her and take her to bed had strained every bit of my self-control. “I should develop woman repellent.”

  If I did, I’d have to make certain the formula attracted my mate while driving away the other bitches. I almost wished I had been through mating before. While most of the couples in the pack didn’t really worry about other wolves approaching their mates, males and females alike postured to maintain their claim on their partner.

  How would I keep the males away from my mate without them knowing she was mine?

  “I don’t think that would be a very profitable business venture, Richard. Just give it up. You’ll be chased until you have a ring on your finger. You may as well accept it. You’ll probably be chased after you have one on your finger, for that matter.” Alex snickered. “I still can’t believe you aren’t interested in those Desmond girls. Are you blind? You must be blind.”

  “I was there for business, thank you very much,” I replied, prodding my brother’s side with a finger. If what I was about to say didn’t distract him from worrying about me, nothing would. “Don’t worry. I’ve already sacrificed you to their father. I made arrangements for you to have a betrothal interview with one of his daughters next year.”

  Alex paled to a shade close to white. “You what?”

  “Next year, you get to spend the winter at the Desmonds. In the interest of keeping you alive, however, I’m giving you to Miss Lisa, as I’d like you to return home alive after the holidays.”

  “You didn’t!” Alex scrambled off the stool, backing away from me until he hit the wall. “Why would you do that to me? You realize I’m an adult, right? You can’t even do that.”

  I grinned at him, and urged on by my bemused wolf, I stalked after my brother. “I did.”

  “Richard!” Alex scrambled away, sliding along the wall towards the fireplace.

  Chuckling, I pursued him, grabbing hold of his arm. With a yank, I pulled him to me, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “If you run, I’ll chase you. Give it up, little brother. You’re going to Seattle next year. I’ll even, as your caring, concerned brother, go with you as a chaperone. While Miss Lisa is a very polite, sophisticated young lady, the other one will leave rattlesnakes in your shoes.”

  “Excuse me?” my mate demanded. “I already told you I was upgrading to cobras, Mr. Murphy.”

  I sighed, wondering if being a Fenerec would save me from such a bite. “As I was saying. Alex, you’ll thank me afterwards that your interview is with Desmond’s other daughter.”

  “You’re going to get us both killed,” Alex hissed.

  Releasing my brother, I turned to face my mate.

  She was wearing a pink bikini and my gray bathrobe. For a long moment, all I could do was stare at her. Her hair was piled on top of her head, held in place with a clip. With her hands on her hips, she glared at me. “I’m stealing your hot tub along with the pool and the television.”

  “You stole my bathrobe,” I spluttered. It wasn’t doing a very good job of covering her.

  “Are you sure you want to leave her unattended up here?” my brother asked, ducking free of my hold on him. “You’ll come back from the pack hunt without a house.”

  “Why do you have an entire clothing store downstairs? I’m keeping the swimsuit, Mr. Murphy.”

  Alex wiggled his way back under my arm. “I changed my mind. I’ll do as you command, older brother.” In a quiet whisper he asked, “You’re sure they’re twins, right? I can’t believe you don’t want either one of them. She’s gorgeous.”

  “Shut up, Alex,” I hissed. “She’ll kill us both if she hears you.”

  Glaring at me, my mate took over my stool at the island, grabbed my coffee, and sniffed it warily. “Whose poison is this?”

  “Richard’s,” my brother answered when I remained silent.

  My mate met my gaze, challenged me with her glare, and with a faint smile, swallowed down my coffee in one big gulp. “Blech. Coffee.”

  I wanted to expose my throat to her in surrender. Instead, I protested in a weak voice, “That was my coffee.”

  “It was,” my mate replied, her tone smug.

  “First she goes for the pool, then your television, and follows up with your hot tub. Now she takes your coffee? Next thing she’s going to do is take your life and leave your body floating in her pool. Nicolina, please don’t kill him. I need him around, okay? He’s obnoxious, but I like him anyway.” Alex once again pulled free of my grip, patting my back. “Thank you, Richard. I accept my sacrifice as unavoidable.”

  “Alex, don’t you have things to do on the second floor?” I growled, pointing in the direction of the staircase.

  Alex wasn’t wearing his watch, but he went through the motions of checking the time. “What do you know? Looks like I do, and I’m about five minutes late. Please don’t kill my brother, Nicolina.”

  “Only because you asked nicely,” my mate murmured.

  When my brother kissed my mate on the cheek, I wanted to throttle him. Clenching my teeth so I wouldn’t say something I regretted, I scowled at him until he headed out of the kitchen.

  Alex laughed at me, stuck out his tongue, and skipped off. “The staircase to the first floor will have your regular codes, Richard. I didn’t touch them, figuring you might want back in the house sometime in the near future. Text me when you make it to the lodge.”

  “Wretch,” I muttered under my breath. The wait for the beep of the alarm system announcing his departure left me shifting my weight foot to foot.

  My mate shrugged out of my bathrobe, tossing it on the island. “I totally want this bikini. It’s great,” she informed me. Striking a pose, she waited until she had my attention before turning in a slow circle. “Isn’t it?”

  The bikini served one function: to keep her modesty intact. It did so, barely.

  She had lovely legs, which she showed off when she caught my gawking.

  “I’m pretty sure I told you the conditions, Miss Desmond,” I growled. “If you want the pool, the television, the hot tub, my ties, my shirts, my bathrobe, and that bikini, you have to take the owner, too.”

  “Take,” she pointed out, slipping a finger under one of the straps of the top and shifting it on her shoulder. “Stealing the owner along with the rest of the items might prove interesting. Of course, he’d need to have an acceptable retail value. Just what does stealing the owner gain me? The pool is easy. I get to swim in it whenever I want. The hot tub is also easy, as long soaks, especially first thing in the morning, are very, very nice. Your clothes and ties and the bathrobe, well, those are more difficult. I suppose I could wear them.”

  I flushed at the thought of her wearing one of my shirts—or better yet, nothing
except one of my ties.

  “Now this bikini is an entirely different matter altogether. If it’s mine, I can put it on whenever I want.” She cocked her head to the side, watching me through half-lidded eyes. The strap snapped against her shoulder as she toyed with it. “I can take it off whenever I want, too.”

  My mate once again challenged me with her glare, and shivering, I retreated several steps until I bumped into the wall. While I had told myself the next move was hers and that I belonged to her, my astonishment at her behavior equalled my wolf’s amazement—and his interest.

  I growled with each breath, shifting my gaze to her throat. My wolf wanted to accept her challenge, and it took every bit of my will to stay where I was. If I moved, I didn’t know what I’d do.

  It’d probably begin with me biting her.

  The kitchen floor wasn’t what I had in mind for when I finally managed to claim my mate. I drew in a deep breath and held it until my lungs burned.

  As if reading my mind, she smirked. “The owner. What would I do with the owner? The owner is temperamental, moody, has problems keeping his mouth and hands to himself, probably costs a fortune to feed, sheds on the bed, and causes trouble wherever he goes.”

  Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back against the wall and struggled to control my breathing. Each accusation tightened something in my chest, leaving me shuddering, as they were all true.

  “He’s also stubborn, talks back, is going to suffer a lifetime of misery for the glitter and that spider, and is, alas, too good looking to kill.” My mate drew close, and when she tugged at my shirt, I swallowed nervously. Her breath tickled my ear when she whispered, “Submissive.”

  My wolf was more than ready to submit to her.

  “Nicolina,” I growled, forcing myself to remain still. A hundred different things I could say flitted through my head, but I couldn’t force a single one of them out. Worry waged war with my immediate desires.