by RJ Blain
“I’m sure that’s their showcase model, which means you can’t have it,” my father countered, pulling into a spot and parking. “Why don’t you look at the other—”
I unbuckled my seatbelt, threw open the door, and beelined for the dealership’s front doors. Several startled salesmen gaped at me as I swept in and pointed at the car. “Is that car fully loaded?”
For a moment, the older men stared at me before glancing at each other. They ultimately focused their attention on the oldest of them, a man who towered over me with gray streaks in his dark hair. “It is, miss. I’m afraid I’ll need—”
My father came into the building, and I planted my hands on my hips, narrowed my eyes, and looked him over. “Buy it.”
“It’s customary to test drive it, find out how much it costs, and what’s included in the vehicle before you tell me to buy it.”
“The nice salesman told me it was fully loaded. Buy it.”
“It’d help if you knew what you were buying.”
I straightened, pointing at the vehicle. “Last year’s 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. If it’s fully loaded, it’ll have the upgraded power steering and the front axle lift system, along with the dual transmission system. 580 horses, twin turbocharged, 3.8 liter engine with six cylinders. It can hit sixty in three seconds. Just buy the damned car so I can drive it home and wake Richard up by dangling the keys in front of him.”
My father pinched the bridge of his nose. “For one whole day, I had a calm, quiet, and reserved daughter. For one whole day.”
Squeezing by my father, Amber circled the Porsche, laughing merrily as she looked over its interior. “She’s so much more fun this way, Mr. Desmond. I’m going to go with her gut instinct. I’m not sure it’s possible to make this car sexier. Just get out your driver’s license and insurance, Nicole—the nice men here will need it for the paperwork.”
I dug out my wallet, careful to keep my concealed weapon permits in their appropriate places while digging out my insurance card and my license, which I held out to the oldest salesman. “He’s paying in cash.”
“I didn’t say that, Nicolina!”
“You’re paying in cash.”
“Now you listen here, young lady.”
Once the pair of cards were safely in the salesman’s hands, I turned to my father and prodded his chest with a finger. “You’re. Paying. In. Cash. You’re getting replacement insurance for it, too. You will also have it freshly washed, as Richard will enjoy his new car spotless.” I took out my phone and waved it in front of my father’s face. “I guess I should call Mother and tell her I found the perfect car…”
“Nicolina.”
“If you argue with me one more time, I won’t give you a chance to negotiate on the price, Father. I’m leaving with that car. The only question here is if I’m leaving your wallet intact when I do so.”
Amber turned to my sister and said, “I love this woman.”
“Oddly enough, so do I. The only thing I regret is that Richard is missing this.”
Frank held up his camera and waved from his place near the door. “Don’t worry, Amber. I started recording the instant her hands and face hit the window because she wanted a closer look at it. You’re doomed, Desmond. Just buy the car, or we’ll be here all day.”
Heaving a sigh, my father pulled out his wallet and his phone. “My bank is just going to love this. I’m going to call, and they’re going to start laughing. This car is probably going to cost me so much they’ll have to wire the damned funds to the dealership.”
“We accept wires,” the salesman confirmed.
I flashed the salesman my best smile. “You’re so helpful, sir.”
“Hugh Greene,” he replied, offering his hand.
I shook with him. “It’s a pleasure to do business with you. Do give my father a challenge during negotiations, Mr. Greene. You have the upper hand, since you know he’s buying the car. Is it possible to test drive it while you handle the negotiations?”
“Of course, Miss.”
“Nicole.” I turned my attention to the blue car, grateful it was parked near the oversized side doors, which would allow someone to carefully maneuver it through the building and outside. “You really think he’ll like it, Alex?”
“He’s going to like it, but he’s going to like how much you like it even more.” My mate’s brother shook his head and laughed. “Lisa, you should learn from this, babe.”
Prowling to her mate, my twin scowled. “And just what do you mean by that?”
“Your sister just coerced at least a quarter of a million dollars out of your father. You’ve been outclassed. He’s surprisingly easy to manipulate.”
Lisa’s eyes widened, and her gaze settled on me. “You bitch.”
My wolf preened at the compliment. “Why, thank you,” I murmured, giving my husband’s new car a fond pat.
My father spat curses, and the salesmen grinned.
It took several hours for my father to finish buying the Porsche and finalize all the paperwork. We hit several snags, which Alex and Frank managed to resolve, as my father refused to allow Richard anywhere near the car without it being registered to him, too.
Fortunately for me, Alex had full power of attorney over Richard’s affairs, although the arrangement worried me and my wolf. Mindful of so many Normals around, I remained silent and limited my fidgeting to pacing.
Frank rested his hands on my shoulders and held me in place. “Stop worrying. It’s a customary arrangement, Nicolina. I have power of attorney, too—and both of them have it for me, as well. You should be grateful; this would be a lot more complicated without it.”
My father muttered a few curses under his breath while the salesman went over the last bit of paperwork. “What was I thinking?”
“You weren’t, Mr. Desmond,” Amber replied, taking both sets of keys off Mr. Greene’s desk and tossing one set to me. “I do believe you have some grocery shopping to do on your way home. Try not to be too late.”
“I’ll take care of it, and I’ll even bring the freeloaders back to the house.”
After ten more minutes and a lot of handshaking, I followed Amber to the Porsche, grumbling when she slid behind the wheel.
“Just a precaution, Nicole. Your stomach’s cooperated, but I’d rather not have you puke in a brand new vehicle.”
“Last year’s model,” I muttered.
“Only because this year’s model hasn’t hit the market yet and won’t for another few weeks. Just be grateful they were able to sell this one as is. You got lucky. I didn’t think any of the showroom models actually were ready to drive. Did the damned thing have any miles on it when you test drove it?”
“One.”
“On and off the truck, then.” Amber backed the car out of the spot and headed for my father’s house, making thoughtful noises. “Want to bet he bought the car and had the dealership stage it?”
With wide eyes, I gawked at my witch. “He wouldn’t!”
“Nicole, this is the man who lured your mate to an airfield under the pretense of selling him a plane—one likely more expensive than this car—to kidnap him. Richard’s been locked in that basement long enough Desmond had plenty of time to hatch up such a plan.”
“He wouldn’t. There’s no way. That’s insane. Why would he do that?”
“He’s a lunatic?”
I huffed. “I can buy into that theory. Why would he buy Richard a car? I thought they didn’t like each other.”
“Ah, you don’t remember a lot about their relationship?”
The thrill of having gotten a Porsche out of my father was smothered under a sense of hopelessness. “Nothing. I only remember a little about us, Amber. He liked Porsches. I crashed two of his. And a snowmobile—a brand new snowmobile. I liked his house.”
“Your house.”
I bit my lip. “Is it?”
“He’s a Fenerec male, Nicole. Everything he owns he’ll lay at your feet without hesitation to keep you happy. It
’s your house, too. You’ll remember more with time. Try not to get too discouraged. It’ll get better. You’ve already remembered some things, right?”
“Some. But, in Vegas, Richard seemed really wary of my father.”
“Of course, he’s wary; Richard has, without a doubt, blamed himself for everything that happened to you. You were his to protect, Nicole, and he failed at his job rather spectacularly. Mr. Desmond’s got a reputation, and you’re his daughter. Richard expects your father to skin him and tan his hide for failing to protect you. If you had died, he probably would have suicided. Losing a mate is difficult enough for any Fenerec, but Richard’s an Alpha. They live to safeguard their pack, and their mate is even more important than their pack.”
The blood drained out of my face, and my chest tightened. “He would have suicided?”
“From everything I’ve heard from Frank and Alex over the past few days, Richard’s been a dead man walking. You’ll need to be prepared for that, too. If he gets overprotective, shoot him with blanks and rubber pellets. Bite him. Smack him around if you must. No matter what, stand up for yourself. Prove to him you’re tough and won’t tolerate him trying to lock you up in a satin and silk prison. That’s how it is with Alphas. He’ll try. Let him get away with it a little, especially until the wolfsbane wears off. But once he’s closer to his prime? Show him you’re his equal. You’re not your mother. Her way of dealing with your father won’t work for you and Richard. There’ll be times you need to bow your head and lower your eyes, but make him earn it—and make him submit to you, too.”
“You know an awful lot about this,” I muttered.
“It’s my job to know. I’m your witch, so the first thing I did was find out what I was up against. I made some calls. Asked around. Learned about the girl you were before your accident. Richard Murphy’s a lot of things, but he doesn’t want some dainty, submissive little flower. If he did, he would’ve picked your sister instead. But no, he picked you—and you picked him. Now you’ll just have to deal with it.”
When we got home, Richard was still asleep, but he had moved from the couch to my father’s chair. He had changed into a button-up shirt and a pair of jeans, and I spied his wallet and keys on the coffee table and his phone sticking out of his shirt’s pocket.
His hair was still damp from when he’d showered, and I liked the hint of lilac soap lingering in the air.
My mother emerged from the kitchen. “Any luck?”
Amber pointed out the front window. “Mr. Desmond didn’t even get a chance to park before she was slobbering on the window, lusting for it. Instant he was parked, she abandoned ship, went into the dealership, and asked if it was fully loaded. The salesman said yes, and she decided she’d buy it. Test drove it while her father tried to salvage his bank account.”
I approached my mate, careful to keep my steps light and quiet. “Is Richard all right?”
“He’s fine, baby. I fed him about an hour ago. Ate every last scrap I had made, cleaned out the fridge, and was still looking for more when I finally ordered him to go sit in here and relax. Fortunately, he passed out the instant he sat down, so I didn’t have to perform miracles to shovel more food into him. Charles is going to the grocery, right?”
“I’ll make sure they’re aware. He wasn’t aggressive?”
“A little growly while eating, but I’m submissive enough he didn’t feel threatened—and I was providing the food. That said, I have no idea how snappy he’ll be when he wakes up.”
“I’ll make sure they get enough and are quick about it.” Amber pulled out her phone and dialed a number. “Alex? Your brother’s showing signs of hunger aggression, and he was still foraging after he cleaned out the kitchen. Can you make sure Mr. Desmond gets an appropriate amount of food for him? Maybe something quick to make to tide him over if he wakes up, too. He’s sleeping off his first feeding, but Wendy seems to think he’s going to wake up hungry and cranky. Okay. See you soon.”
After hanging up, my witch set her phone on the coffee table. “They’ll be back in twenty minutes. Frank apparently anticipated the issue, so they called in advance to several butchers and hit a few grocery stores for ingredients.”
I frowned, wondering if Richard’s crankiness would apply to me, too. My wolf’s unease shivered beneath my skin and chilled me, and I voiced a single, uncertain whine.
My mother smiled at my mate. “He’ll be fine, Nicolina. Go ahead and sit with him. He’ll probably wake up groggy and would appreciate having you close. He’ll probably grab you. He snagged me once earlier, and he held on for half an hour before he let me go.”
To reassure my wolf, I perched on the arm of Richard’s chair, and true to my mother’s warning, my mate had his arm around me before I had a chance to get comfortable. I sighed. “He couldn’t have waited for a minute?”
“Fenerec male, Nicole. What were you expecting?”
“A little restraint?”
“Keep dreaming.” Amber laughed. “Jingle the keys at him, and see if you can get him to wake up.”
“But what are we going to feed him?”
My mother laughed. “Coffee.”
“Coffee is not food.”
“No, but it’ll wake him up.”
I sighed, squirmed on my perch, and dug the car keys out of my pocket. Jingling them near his head, I watched for a reaction.
Richard cracked open a wolf-yellow eye, focusing on the source of the sound before staring at me. “You’re back.”
I shook the keys. “I bought you a present. I stole the money from my father as punishment for locking you in the basement.”
Tightening his hold on me, Richard pulled me onto his lap and rubbed his nose against my throat. “Are you part of the present?”
“The correct answer is yes, Nicole,” Amber informed me.
With my wolf’s enthusiasm burning within me, I couldn’t bring myself to deny it despite my embarrassment. “I suppose—if you’re nice to me.”
Richard chuckled, and he brushed his lips against my skin. “What did you steal from Desmond, you wicked little bitch?”
“It’s a really pretty Porsche, Richard. I told you I can’t be seen in a Hyundai with manual windows. You’ll let me play with it sometimes, won’t you?” When I tried to escape his hold, Richard clutched me to him, giving my neck a nip. A jolt ran through me, and with a yip, I fell limp against him.
“Mine,” he growled.
“No one is going to take her from you,” my mother soothed, retreating towards the kitchen. “I think she wanted to show you your present. Your father will be home soon, and he brings an offering of food. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
Richard nuzzled the spot he had bit, letting out another low, rumbling growl.
“Perhaps you should just make the coffee, Wendy. Leave it on the table, and when he’s ready to get it, he will.” Like my mother, Amber retreated from the living room. “Hey, Wendy? Did Mr. Desmond actually get Richard a plane?”
“He did.”
Richard straightened beneath me, twisting around to glance into the kitchen. “It wasn’t just a trap?”
“It comes with strings attached, Richard Murphy,” my mother replied.
From my vantage on Richard’s lap, I watched my mother point a spoon at my mate, narrow her eyes to slits, and glare.
“There’s really a plane?” Astonishment altered my mate’s scent.
“Once you’re feeling better, the wolfsbane has worn off, and you’ve gained a few pounds, you are to take our daughter on a flight somewhere, go on a vacation—just the two of you—and take a week to relax. Charles has already made a list of possible locations you may both enjoy. There will be no refusals. Yellowknife needs their Alpha in good health.” My mother’s smile turned sly. “I have it on good authority when winter comes, your pack will be keeping you very, very busy preparing for puppies.”
My mate’s eyes widened. “Puppies?”
“You’re going to have lots of little puppies under
foot, taking over your nursery.” My mother’s cajoling tone woke dim and hazy memories of her manipulating my father. “It’s perfect to start whetting your precious little brother’s appetite for puppies, too. Then maybe next season or the season after, once Nicolina’s used to her duties as Alpha female, you can start thinking about puppies of your very own.”
“Mom!” I squealed.
My mother’s laughter rang out, long and loud. “Maybe more than a few seasons. She’s so shy. Good luck with her, Richard. You’re going to need it.”
Richard nuzzled my neck and squeezed me. “I wouldn’t have her any other way.” He hesitated. “Is there really a Porsche?”
“Parked right outside, all ready to go,” Amber confirmed. “She robbed her father blind just for you.”
“Is it a fast Porsche?” Richard demanded.
“Very fast,” I confirmed.
“Convertible?”
“Of course.”
“Pink?”
The hope in his voice made me laugh. “Blue, but we can get it repainted pink if you really want.”
“If we make a run for it, do you think we can escape before they catch us?” Richard murmured in my ear.
“Only if you solemnly swear to obey me, and only me, until the wolfsbane wears off,” I countered.
Amber leaned out of the kitchen and glared at us. “What are you two whispering about over there?”
“I solemnly swear to obey you and only you, at least until the wolfsbane wears off.”
“Count of three?”
“Count of three.”
We bolted for the door, and I snatched Richard’s wallet and keys on the way, while Amber gaped and my mother howled her dismay. I laughed and dove behind the wheel, waiting long enough for my mate to slam his door closed before putting the car into gear so we could make our great escape.
Part III
When my mate snatched my phone out of my pocket, rolled down the window, and launched it out of the car, I laughed. Before she could toss hers out, too, I rescued the device.