by RJ Blain
Contents
Copyright
Foreword & Dedication
Part I
Part II
Part III
Afterword
Titles by RJ Blain
Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. Six by RJ Blain
Nicole Thomas, once Nicolina Desmond, managed to save her sister and family from the plague killing the Fenerec. However, there’s one life she’s touched most of all—Richard Murphy’s.
This is his story.
Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. Six takes place immediately after Winter Wolf.
Tales of the Winter Wolf Vol. 6 © 2016 RJ Blain
Cover Design by Holly Heisey (hollyheiseydesign.com)
All Rights Reserved.
Foreword
Many of you have noticed (and commented) about how the first five volumes of Tales of the Winter Wolf read like chapters of a novel rather than short story collections. This was done intentionally, playing off my love of writing novels while working with a shorter story format.
In many ways, volumes one through five should be read together as a novel.
I’ve been asked many times why Winter Wolf ended where it did.
What happened to Nicolina? What about Richard? Volume six answers these questions, and is a story of three parts. So, why didn’t I include this with Winter Wolf? Winter Wolf is Nicolina’s story.
Volume six of Tales of the Winter Wolf belongs to Richard. Unlike other stories in the Tales of the Winter Wolf set, they don’t really have a title. If I had to name them anything, it would be Homecoming.
Thanks for reading.
Dedication
As some of you are already aware, I was supposed to release this book a while ago. My husband’s mother passed away. These words are for her, though she will never get a chance to read them.
We miss you, Rose.
Part I
I thought things would be easier after Nicolina learned the truth about us, but if anything, the more things changed, the more they remained the same.
I needed to get my ass in gear and leave Vegas, but I delayed, wishing I could head west rather than north. At first, I waited, hoping Nicolina would want me with her.
She didn’t.
According to Amber, my mate needed space, and I was too much of a coward to infringe on her territory. Nicolina’s home and life remained in Los Angeles, where she was working on filming Among Us, a potential blockbuster with high odds of sending her straight to the top of the charts. The thought of returning to Yellowknife alone left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Only duty forced me back to the house that hadn’t felt like a home since the day my pack had almost killed my mate.
Two weeks slipped by in a blur, which I spent helping the Inquisition deal with the fallout of the plague and preventing sick wolves from transforming to buy the witches time to figure out how to turn Nicolina’s method of smothering the disease into a proper cure. The following week I spent in an exhausted stupor, recovering from controlling so many Fenerec.
When I was finally able to head to Yellowknife without running the risk of crashing my rental, I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t pressure Nicolina to return, not after I had failed to protect her from members of my pack. With a wolf of her own, she’d be able to protect herself, but I’d carried my guilt for so long I wasn’t quite sure how to get rid of it—or if I could.
That, too, was in Nicolina’s hands.
I considered picking a direction and running until I couldn’t run anymore. The Inquisition needed the penthouse suite. My secret life with my mate remained as it was before she’d been attacked by my pack—apart, with little hope of unveiling the truth anytime soon. I managed to delay my return by sending Alex and my mate’s twin home first; because of Lisa’s disappearance, the pack would go into a frenzy welcoming her home. While I wouldn’t be in the way, I didn’t want to interfere, either.
It was their moment, and I didn’t want to shadow it with my presence—and the memories of why Lisa had vanished to begin with. Most of them had no idea Desmond’s other daughter was on the prowl again, and I’d leave the final decision on when to reveal Nicolina’s reemergence to Lisa.
I hadn’t needed to lift a finger to discipline the pack for Nicolina’s attack; Lisa had handled it far better than I could.
No one in the pack was stronger than a bitch and sister scorned, and because of what had happened to her twin, Lisa had truly become an Alpha worthy of fear, a perfect match for my little brother. I clung to the happiness they had found together.
I wasn’t needed, and until I was, I could wander without anyone noticing I was gone.
To delay my return home, I had made arrangements to look over some used planes for sale. I limited my search to locations on route back to Yellowknife by car so I wouldn’t have to take a commercial flight. A single call to the Shadow Pope resulted in a list of contacts and unwanted curiosity, which I ignored. Without Nicolina in my life, I’d lost interest in a lot of things, and flying had been one of them.
I’d given the four seater Desmond had given me to a hospital in the bush, giving them the ability to fly in the supplies they needed. I still paid for its upkeep and care, flying a borrowed plane to the site to do maintenance when needed—or to ferry a new pilot out to handle the plane.
Desmond had replaced my jet, too, but I’d abandoned it in a hangar to rot. I wasn’t even sure if I owned it anymore.
I couldn’t look at it without remembering Nicolina.
Driving a Porsche had lost its shine along with a lot of other things. Since my mate’s attack, the car accident during her flight to safety, her memory loss, and departure from my life, I had flitted from rental to lease to rental without caring what brand I drove as long as it got me where I needed to go.
I didn’t even have a snowmobile of my own anymore, although I went through the motions of buying them for the pack, feigning excitement over the newest and greatest, only to toss the keys to one of the puppies who had done something worthy of reward.
Looking at planes would be the first step towards taking back the parts of my life I’d abandoned since my mate had disappeared from my world. She still remained out of my reach, but she remembered me—at least a little.
How could something like a little bit of hope hurt so damned much?
I had been so resigned to watching and waiting I wasn’t sure what my next step would be. Grateful my mate hadn’t pushed me away entirely, I’d bide my time to see what she wanted to do. Until she had a chance to come to terms with being a Fenerec, until she had a chance to stabilize her bond with her witch, it was better for both of us if I kept my distance, no matter how much it hurt me and my wolf.
I’d been prepared to wait a lifetime for her. Impatience because she remembered me at all wouldn’t help my cause.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I dug it out to check the display. The text message notified me of a Cessna in Washington, several years old with little use. It’d need lines replaced, but according to the message, it’d be a few hours and a couple of hundred to make it flight worthy.
I texted a reply I’d be there the next day in the evening. The next text was the address for the airfield it was stored at.
With no more reasons for me to delay, I left Las Vegas and headed north.
I stopped at five places to check out planes on the way to Washington, but none of the aircraft appealed. Some were too expensive, too old, or so new it’d take at least a week to get them registered and flightworthy. Some needed too much work to get back in the air. I’d get another project to fix one day, but it’d been too long since I’d flown for myself.
My wolf was eager to return to the s
kies.
What should have taken me sixteen hours took me almost twenty, and I reached the hangar ten minutes before the scheduled appointment time. Stifling a yawn, I got out of the rental and headed for the airfield’s main office to find out where the seller would be.
I cut a corner around one of the buildings and collided with someone, yelping my surprise. I sucked in a breath, and my nose registered the cinnamon of a Fenerec a moment before my jaw registered impact with a fist. The back of my head smacked into the building’s concrete, and my legs gave out. An arm slapped across my chest kept me from hitting the ground hard.
The few seconds I remained stunned from the two blows lost me the fight before it began. Teeth dug into my throat, accompanied by a growl—one my wolf remembered far too well.
I’d been ambushed by my mate’s father.
Over the years, I’d been in a lot of life-threatening situations, but none quite as terrifying as having Desmond’s teeth on my throat while his growls promised a world of suffering if I even thought about defying him. Some lessons I’d learned well, and challenging Desmond could get me killed—or make me run wild.
I broke out in a cold sweat.
Desmond released my throat with his teeth, seizing the back of my neck with his hand. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Richard Murphy.”
My wolf had exactly one idea on how best to deal with Desmond: run. Of my options, flight might preserve my hide long enough to figure out why Desmond was hunting me. I stared at him, forcing my eyes to widen. I didn’t have to work to tinge my scent with anxiety.
Most days, the thought of acting submissive sent my wolf into a fury, but he encouraged me to voice a single, pathetic whine to manipulate Desmond’s wolf.
Desmond’s grip on the back of my neck loosened, and the other Alpha sucked in a breath. “Easy, Richard. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Rolling out of Desmond’s grip, I slapped my hands to the pavement and lunged into a sprint, turning tail for my rental. Getting into my car would slow me down too much; I’d have to lose him, circle around, and then retreat to my vehicle to make my getaway.
“You sneaky, thieving rat!” Desmond bellowed from behind me, too close for my liking.
Two weeks of preventing tens upon tens of Fenerec from shifting long enough for them to be cured of the plague hadn’t done me any good. The rest I had managed to get had been disturbed by stress and anxiety.
I didn’t make it far before Desmond plowed into me and drove me down to the gravel. In my effort to evade him, I rolled.
The Alpha jammed his knee into my side, smacked his hand to my throat, and squeezed hard enough to cut off my breath. “Tricky little runt. Where do you think you’re going? You’re not getting away from me that easily, not when I went through all that effort to lure you here. Imagine my surprise, for a moment, when someone told me you were shopping for some new way to horrify your pack every time you decide to go on a flight.”
Desmond sounded far too pleased with himself for my comfort. Groaning, I went limp and surrendered. “What do you want, Desmond?”
“Why are you shopping for a plane, Richard?”
“So I can pack you in it and throw you out at altitude to find out if you bounce when you hit the ground,” I snarled.
“My puppy returned to your pack without visiting me.”
“You ambushed me because Lisa returned to Yellowknife without visiting Seattle?” I sighed and relaxed.
“Yes. As I’ve been slighted in such a cruel and terrible fashion, you’re coming home with me.”
My relief chilled to dread. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Would I ever joke about kidnapping an Alpha?” Desmond kept his grip on my neck firm, although he eased his hold enough I could breathe without wheezing. “This is how this is going to work, Richard. You’re going to get up, you’re going to give me the keys to your rental car, and you’re going to quietly come with me. If you don’t, I’m going to force you to change, muzzle and collar you, and make you come home with me anyway. I have a syringe of ketamine and wolfsbane readily accessible, and I’m not afraid to use it. So, what’ll it be, punk?”
I groaned, squirmed enough to reach into my pocket, and pulled out my car keys. “I should have known the plane was a lie.”
“The plane isn’t a lie. It’s all yours, isn’t actually damaged at all, and is ready to fly whenever I feel like returning you to your pack. It’s your reward for doing such a good job of tracking down both of my wayward daughters and taking care of them.”
I had to tread really carefully to avoid revealing to Desmond I had ulterior motives when it came to his eldest daughter. “That’s not necessary. Lisa’s pack—and Alex’s beloved mate. Of course I’d hunt her to the end of the world and make sure she made it home to him.”
“And what about your beloved mate?” Desmond demanded in a growl.
Panic gave me enough strength to rip free of Desmond’s grasp and scramble across the parking lot in the futile effort to escape him.
It didn’t take him long to catch me and live up to his threats.
It took the sedatives a frighteningly short time to kick in, robbing me of the will to fight back against Desmond, who gave a solid tug on my leash. “Heel,” he ordered.
With a cage of silver surrounding my muzzle, protected by leather, fleece, and witchcraft so I wouldn’t be burned, I had no hope of tearing into the other Alpha like I wanted. Thanks to the wolfsbane, I obeyed, growling my discontent over my captivity.
“If you hadn’t fought me, you wouldn’t be muzzled like the cur you are.”
I growled again, and Desmond ignored me, guiding me to one of the far hangars.
While my mate’s father could take down any Alpha on the continent on his own, he had come prepared with accomplices, and Sanders waved the instant we turned the corner into his view. “Mission accomplished?”
“He probably would have put up a better fight if I hadn’t cracked his head into the wall by accident.”
Desmond’s second accomplice, his wife and mate, crouched and smiled at me. “Richard. It’s been far too long. You should have come to visit us. Don’t listen to Charles. He’s missed having you under foot all the time.”
“Wendy, don’t encourage him,” Desmond complained. When we got close enough, he tossed my leash to her. “Stay with Wendy and do whatever she tells you, Richard.”
Heaving a sigh, I obeyed, sitting beside her and hanging my head in misery at being held hostage by the Desmonds. I cast a baleful, reproachful look at Sanders.
Seattle’s Alpha held his hands up in surrender. “When Desmond tells me I’m helping him catch an Alpha, I don’t ask questions. I didn’t want to be muzzled and collared, too.”
“Or dosed with wolfsbane.”
“That, too. Sorry, Richard. Desmond really wanted you. I don’t know what you did, but I hope he lets you live.”
“He stole my daughter,” Desmond snarled.
“You’re still mad Lisa joined Yellowknife’s pack? Damn, Desmond. That’s harsh. You’ve been waiting years to get payback, haven’t you?”
“No, my other daughter.” Desmond gave my ribs a solid kick, and I yipped and fell against Wendy.
Wendy wrapped her arms around my shoulders and chest, careful to avoid the silver collar and muzzle. “Charles Nicholas Desmond, if you kick my puppy again, you are the one who will be sleeping in the basement.”
“I’m confused,” Sanders confessed. “Why am I being involved in a familial dispute?”
“He. Stole. My. Daughter.” Desmond didn’t kick me again, but he did snarl, showing me his teeth.
I crowded against Wendy, tucked my tail, and whined.
“I’m still really, really confused. Didn’t he do a lot of work in Los Angeles to save your daughter?”
“She saved herself. He’s just an ornament.”
I sighed, but I couldn’t really argue with him—my mate had done all of the real work herself. The fact I’d have
to protect her from the Inquisition worried me. Maybe she was a wizard, but she was my mate, and I wasn’t going to let them hurt her.
I whined again, thrusting my shoulder against Wendy.
Wendy laughed and hugged me. “Oh, Richard. He’s just upset his comfortable little world has been turned upside down on him. The house is empty of puppies, and he misses the fuss you all make. So, you’re coming home with me and restoring his sense of normality. He just wanted to have some fun and kidnap you as punishment for stealing our daughters.”
“I’m still confused.”
“This son of a bitch rat bastard slept with my daughter!” Desmond howled.
Sanders’s eyes widened. “Oh.” Pausing, Seattle’s Alpha gaped at me. “Oh.”
“Exactly.”
“You sneaky son of a bitch. Well done, sir!” Sanders crouched beside me and thumped my shoulder, grinning. “You’re finally off the market? Damned girl took her time sinking her teeth into you, didn’t she?”
“She was sixteen when she married him,” Wendy announced.
Desmond howled his anguish, and I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to look any of them in the eye, although I gave a satisfied huff over having successfully formed a mating bond with Desmond’s daughter right under his nose without him guessing I’d done it.
“And that explains everything. Damn, Richard. I always knew you were a sly old wolf, but that just takes the cake. How the hell did you pull that off? Oh, no. No way. Don’t tell me you two trying to kill each other was actually how you were flirting? What is wrong with you, Richard? Why can’t you do anything the normal way?”