by RJ Blain
“Good. He deserves it. I can’t believe he did that. It makes me so angry!”
“No punching anyone or anything until we’re at the house. When we’re at the house, I’ll be glad to repair any holes you make. Please try to limit the damage to things I am capable of fixing; the pool water needs to say on the third level where it belongs.”
“Deal.”
“Just warn me if you’re going after me. It hurts less when I’m ready for it.”
“Are you volunteering to serve as a punching bag?”
“If you promise to take me into the shower when you’re done with me, you can do whatever you want to me.”
“That’s so pathetic, Richard.”
I grinned at her, linking my arm with hers. “Anything to keep my movie star happy. When do you have to return to work?”
“A month. They have to repair some of the models and get the indoor studio inspected and certified. We did the outdoor shoots they were ready for.” My mate sighed. “I still haven’t finished reading the damned book, Richard.”
“You’re getting the job done though, right?”
“I have a lead role, and if I’m lucky, I get five or ten lines a day, Richard. This character’s ridiculous. Her solution to every problem is to hit it until it stops moving, shoot it until it stops moving, or…” Embarrassment had a scent, and it tinged my mate’s.
I scowled at the thought of anyone coming near my mate, even when shooting for a film. “Screw him until he does what she wants?”
Nicole spluttered. “She’s an equal opportunist.”
It was one thing to think of my mate and wife intimate with another man, but the idea of her being with another woman stopped me in my tracks. Fenerec were so hardwired to mate I’d never met one who was even bisexual.
At best, bitches viewed other bitches as competition for a mate, and once mated, other bitches were wise to avoid a mated male. The competition between the males was as fierce and often more violent than between the bitches, but I’d gotten more than my fair share of bruises separating jealous bitches itching for a fight.
“I’m not sharing.” My mate bared her teeth and growled at me.
I put my hand over her mouth. “Not in public.”
The scent of fear wafted from her, and she squeaked. “Sorry.”
Leaning towards her, I lowered my hand and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’m not interested in anyone other than you. Forgive me for being a male—and for being jealous of a woman. As for the rest, you’ll get the hang of it. Treat it just like you did in Los Angeles. You did really well there. You’ll figure it out quick.”
She needed to, because I’d take on the entire Inquisition to keep her safe, even if I had to leave a trail of bodies in my wake to do it.
When I finished checking us out, the receptionist leaned towards me and whispered, “There was a call asking about you, Mr. Murphy. I told the inquirer we had no reservations for you, sir, and that we hadn’t since your prior stay with us. I also informed them I hadn’t seen you.”
The young bitch hadn’t seen me, which meant even if someone like Desmond was trying to catch her in a lie, he wouldn’t be able to. I chuckled. “Perfect. Thank you. When were you called?”
“An hour ago, sir. The caller seemed quite frustrated.”
“Even better. Can you have someone bring the car around?”
“Of course, sir. It’ll be a few minutes. We parked your vehicle in a private garage nearby, as I thought you’d prefer no one being able to spot it in our lot.”
“Get together with your staff, make a wish list for things you’d like for the hotel, and email it to me.”
My mate linked her arm with mine and pressed against me. Her scent betrayed her nervousness, and I smiled at her. “What’s the worst that can happen? Your father catches us and beats me within an inch of my life?”
“I’m sure that’d be just the start.”
“So it’s true? You eloped, sir?”
“Oh, we did that years ago. Her father just found out about it a week ago.” Unable to help myself, I smirked. “He’s furious.”
“Great. Now you’re going to be egotistical the entire trip.”
“He should be. You’re a very pretty woman, ma’am.”
My mate blushed and stared at her feet.
“Who knew an actress could be so shy?”
The receptionist’s eyes widened. “I thought so! You’re the girl in Among Us.”
My wolf preened at the young bitch’s recognition of our mate. “She sure is.”
Nicole spluttered something and pressed her face to my shoulder. “Nicole Thomas.”
“Murphy,” I corrected.
“My stage name’s Thomas.”
“Murphy.”
She bit me. I grimaced. “She acts under the name of Nicole Thomas, but she’s a Murphy.”
“Stubborn mule,” my mate complained around a mouthful of my shirt.
Knowing my mate’s father—or someone—was on the hunt for us, Nicole’s desire to make a straight run to Yellowknife worked out for the best. Moving targets were harder to hit, and if I wanted to make it home without getting caught, I needed to be careful about where I stopped.
Hotels under my management were no longer an option; if Desmond got on the phone with my managers, they would obey the Inquisition’s enforcer to avoid having their hides tanned. Our only hope was that Desmond took our flight as a personal challenge and didn’t involve law enforcement in our disappearance.
It could go either way, and I worried he’d use every resource available to him to catch us.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t believe I would return to Yellowknife to den with my mate. He’d been correct about my distaste for home. Had I gotten a hold of a plane, I would have flown it until I found a place to land far away from civilization.
“We’re doomed,” my mate declared, slouching in her seat. “I’m going to die before we get into Canada.”
Considering the number of times I had already pulled over due to her rebelling stomach, I couldn’t blame her for her pessimism. I reached over and gave her knee a squeeze. “When I get you home, I’ll take good care of you. Some soup, some tender loving care, and a few soaks in the jacuzzi will help. I’ll see if any of the medicines I have on hand work—they might until you’ve finished the transition. Some Fenerec luck out. Maybe you’ll be one of them.”
“I have no luck.”
“Sure you do. Your father hasn’t caught us yet. It’ll only take us another hour to reach where we’ll sneak over the border. It’s going to be a bumpy ride, so if you have to throw up, do so before I charge across a farm field, okay?”
“Wonderful. Just wonderful. I’m not supposed to be shaken or stirred, Richard. This is torture.”
“We won’t be in the field long.”
I ended up stopping three more times before we reached the road paralleling the border. It took me longer than I liked to find the spot in the fence surrounding the harvested fields that was designed to open like a gate without being an obvious access point.
It took me three minutes to open it up and get the Porsche into the knee high grasses surrounding the field. After restoring the fence, I hopped in, gunned the engine, and tore across the rough ground, beelining for the road skirting the farm on the Canadian side of the border. I grimaced at the thump of driving into the shallow ditch before bouncing the car onto the dirt and gravel access between fields.
I parked the car in time for my mate to scramble out and double over in the ditch. Wincing at her whimpering groan, I unbuckled my seatbelt, got out, and joined her, grateful I had wrapped her braid around her head so there was no chance of her getting anything in her hair.
“Put me out of my misery.”
While under the influence of wolfsbane, I had to obey her, although her phrasing left me a lot of leeway for how to do it. Reaching into the car, I grabbed the roll of paper towels and some tissues, offering them to her. Her hands shook when she took them, a
nd I pressed my nose to her throat, taking a deep breath. Ritual sickness didn’t have a scent of illness, and she was clean of any disease I had encountered before. Her misery added a sour taint to her crisp, spiced sweetness.
I scraped my teeth against her skin, and she gasped, tilting her head to grant me easier access. I wrapped my arms around her, held her close, and nibbled on her until her body shivered and relaxed against me. It took several minutes until her eyes fluttered closed, and her breathing slowed and steadied to the rhythm of peaceful sleep. Gathering her in my arms, I grunted and rose to my feet, carrying her back to the car.
She stirred while I buckled her in, and I kissed her throat to soothe her.
With luck, I’d keep her asleep for as long as possible, waking her long enough to feed her. With almost a full day of driving ahead of me, I’d need to be careful, speed where I could, and drink enough coffee to float a battleship to reach Yellowknife in one piece. Taking advantage of a rest area would give me a chance to catch a short nap or two on the way.
I clenched my teeth, put the Porsche in gear, and headed for home.
I woke Nicole every time I stopped for gas, keeping a careful eye on her while she operated on auto-pilot, a result of my caresses and nips. Her lack of appetite worried me, although I wasn’t surprised.
The plague had ravaged my brother, and it had taken him well over a week to recover. When the sorcerer had stolen Nicole’s body and given it to her sister, Lisa’s body had been in far worse shape. By all rights, my mate’s twin should have died. The thought of my brother living without his Lisa unsettled me.
How long would it be before my mate recovered? My wolf’s worry chilled me from within, and he urged me to take her to the safety of our den. Despite his wishes, I stopped in Fort Vermillion, Alberta, planning to stay in the hamlet’s sole hotel.
It was one of the few places near Yellowknife I didn’t frequent. While the Porsche drew attention, the US plates screamed tourist, making it easy to explain our presence in the area. I’d been in America long enough to pick up a bit of an accent.
I woke my mate for the few minutes necessary to get her into our room. After coaxing her into a bubble bath for a soak, I toweled her dry, tucked her into bed, and soothed her and her wolf with a few caresses of her throat. Once certain she’d sleep, I rolled onto my side, grabbed the room’s phone, and dialed Frank’s home phone number.
Of my pack, Vivian and Kelly were the two I could trust to pull the wool over Frank’s eyes and help me settle my mate at home without telling everyone.
“Hello?” my Third’s daughter answered.
“Feel like being an accomplice in a dastardly crime against your father?”
“Second Dad!” Kelly squealed loud enough I winced. “Where the hell are you?”
My mate murmured, rolled over, and nestled against me, wrapping her arms around my waist before quieting. I stroked her throat to make sure she remained asleep.
“Swear secrecy, and I’ll let you in on it.”
“I’d lie, steal, and cheat for you, Second Dad. Dad’s frantic. What have you done now?”
“Busted out of prison.”
“Dad was incoherent, saying something about stealing a mate? He was frothing on the phone. What’s this about a mate?”
“Can I get away with a promise to explain soon?”
“No. You want my help, so you start talking. I could just call for Mom. She’ll straighten you out, and you’ll end up telling me anyway.”
I grinned. “I’ll bribe you.”
“With what?”
“I’ll fulfill any reasonable demand, and if you ask my mate very nicely, she might let you boss me around.”
“So you found a mate? It’s true?” Kelly shrieked, “Mom! Second Dad finally found a woman who can put up with him.”
“Kelly, who’s on the phone?”
“Second Dad.”
My Third’s daughter squeaked, and a moment later, Vivian demanded, “Where the hell are you, Richard Murphy?”
“Swear secrecy, and you can use the opportunity to yank Frank’s tail. Come on, Vivian. Your puppy, too. You can both help me.”
“Bribe me.”
“I’ll give you the same offer I gave your puppy: any reasonable demand. Ask my mate nicely, and she might let you boss me around.”
“Sold. To be determined later—for both of us. Favors, Richard Murphy. One each. What do you need us to do?”
“My mate’s sick, so I need the house prepped for her. I want to sneak her home tomorrow after dark. I don’t want to stop at the lodge and deal with the pack being nosy until she’s better.”
“How sick is she?”
“She’s dealing with healing from the plague and ritual sickness at the same time. She’s been sick for a few weeks. Today was pretty bad. Yesterday wasn’t, so she’s on the mend.” I kept stroking Nicole’s throat, smiling at her. “I’ve kept her asleep most of the day today.”
“And just who is this lucky bitch?”
“Desmond’s other daughter.”
The phone clattered on something hard. After several moments it struck something else before Vivian shrieked, “You didn’t! When? When did you mate with her, you son of a bitch!”
“Hey,” I protested.
“Richard. Talk.”
“We married when she was sixteen,” I mumbled. “Her mother arranged it.”
“Wendy arranged it? And Desmond?”
“He didn’t learn about it until this week. That’s why he locked me in his basement.”
“You sly son of a bitch. You’re bringing her home?”
“I’m in Fort Vermillion. Don’t tell anyone, please.”
“How sick is she?”
I tensed. “I can’t promise I won’t go for any males who get too close to her.”
“So, we treat you like any other newly mated with a sick mate and add in the special bonus of your Alpha boneheaded stupidity on top of it. That’s just great. Are you going to bite me and Kelly if we’re there?”
“I’ll try not to bite either one of you, but I’m far less likely to bite Kelly than I am to bite you.”
“We’ll go to the house to prepare everything, then. Wait. How are you getting here? Your piece of shit car is parked in your garage. It’s also supposed to snow tomorrow night.”
“How much?”
“Couple of centimeters. Nothing worth worrying about, really. Your car has good tires?”
“I’ll skate my way to my house. I’m sure I can handle it.”
“What are you driving, Richard?”
“It goes really, really fast, Vivian. It’s blue. It’s really pretty, and my mate gave it to me.”
“It’s a Porsche, isn’t it?”
“It’s really pretty, Vivi.”
“You’re so pathetic. Get some sleep. Bring your mate home. Kelly and I will be waiting. We’ll keep it secret, and I’ll send everyone at the lodge off on errands so they’ll either be gone or asleep when you arrive. You call me before you leave with your ETA, you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“If you crash that car, I’ll kill you myself,” Frank’s mate snarled before hanging up on me.
My mate slept without stirring, and when it came time to check out, she murmured sleepily and refused to wake at a gentle nudge. I decided to let her rest, carrying her out to the car before checking out.
I should have checked the weather before leaving; the estimated several centimeters turned into a blizzard halfway between Yellowknife and my lodge. What should have taken me four hours took six and a half, and by the time I parked the Porsche in my garage next to the Hyundai, I trembled from exhaustion.
At least Nicole woke up when I shook her shoulders.
“We’re here,” I informed her, unbuckling her seatbelt so she wouldn’t have to struggle with it. “Vivian and Kelly might be here.”
“Vivian is Frank’s mate, isn’t she? And Kelly’s his daughter? She likes pink, too.”
�
��That’s right. Kelly’s around your age. They’ll probably pounce the instant I’m through the door. You don’t have to worry about either one of them. Kelly’s courting one of the males in the pack. Don’t be surprised if she starts calling you Second Mom. Vivian’s been mated to Frank for a very long time.”
Nicole’s eyes widened. “But isn’t she my age?”
“You’re my mate, and she’s been calling me Second Dad since she was old enough to talk. You and your wolf have nothing to worry about. Okay?”
After swallowing, my mate nodded. “It’s snowing?”
“Starts snowing earlier here than elsewhere. It’s a bit earlier than normal, but not unheard of. Welcome to the Arctic.”
“Do you still have the jacuzzi?”
“Alex made me replace it last year, so it’s apparently bigger and better than the old one. He picked it out. He also got one for his bedroom. I think his model’s better than mine.”
“My sister lives here?”
“Fourth floor.”
“Your bedroom’s on the fourth floor, isn’t it?”
I sighed. “Sure is.”
“So I have to live with my sister?”
“And my brother.”
“My jacuzzi will be better than my sister’s. Am I understood?”
“Understood. Let’s get inside. We’ll have to go around to the front door.”
Nicole sighed, twisting in her seat to stare out the open garage door. “It’s snowing, Richard.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Let’s get this over with.” Throwing open the door, she stomped outside, baring her teeth at the sky. I followed at a more sedate pace, resting my hand on the small of her back to guide her towards the steps leading to the door.
She snarled at the Chinese lions standing guard on my porch.
I laughed. Before I had a chance to pop open the security panel to let myself in, the door opened.
Vivian placed her hands on her hips and glared at me. “Richard Murphy.”
Smiling, I pushed Nicole inside and paused long enough to kiss Vivian’s cheeks. “Vivian.”
“Frank’s convinced you have taken complete leave of your senses.”