Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good.
INSTEAD of yelling at me – or giving me a firm lecture on wolf politics – Aric led me to the table his father had staked out for us and grabbed two beers from the cooler before settling next to me.
I waited for him to explode. I couldn’t let it go. That’s so not my style.
“Aren’t you going to give me crap about what I said?”
Aric shifted his eyes to me and shook his head.
“Why?”
“Because you were just being you, and admonishing you for something you can’t help won’t benefit anyone,” Aric replied. “Claudette was being aggressive. You were simply sticking close to me because that’s what I wanted.”
“Yes, well, that was weird,” I admitted. “I’ve never seen you need protection from a woman before.”
“Just you when you’re on a rampage,” Aric said, leaning closer to kiss my cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment and rested his forehead against my temple. “I already miss our quiet life.”
“I’m not quiet.”
“No, but you’re quiet compared to all of these people. Just wait to see what happens when people start drinking and Jared Bishop tells the legend of the great wolf inception.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a history of how we came to be, only it’s kind of like a fairy tale,” Aric replied. “It basically tells a story about a lone man in the mountains forced to survive on his own for a brutal winter, and to survive and keep warm he mates with a wolf.”
“That’s illegal.”
Aric grinned. “Supposedly the union brings forth three pups, and that’s how the entire wolf population was born.”
“That makes absolutely no sense,” I said, running the story through my brain. “First, two different species can’t procreate. It’s not like a half mage and a full wolf. We’re still human. Second, if they had only three pups, that means you’re all born from incest … and that’s just creepy. It’s like Game of Thrones in the mountains.”
Aric barked out a laugh, causing a few eyes – including the ones belonging to Claudette – to shift in our direction. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said, twisting the top off my beer. “But I guess if I’m going to have to put up with a gaggle of your ex-girlfriends, I’m going to need a few drinks.”
“I never had any serious ex-girlfriends,” Aric said. “I never liked dating wolves. The women were too … .”
“Ugly?”
“I was going to say eager,” Aric replied. “You have to remember, in the wolf world I’m something of a big deal. You’re the big deal in the wider paranormal world – and I’ve come to grips with that – but in the wolf world I’m essentially royalty.”
“You’re my prince,” I teased, resting my head against his shoulder.
We sat like that for a few minutes, happy in our solitude, until a tall figure with broad shoulders moved toward our table. I lifted my head as the man approached, watching curiously as Aric caught sight of him.
“Tate!” Aric hopped to his feet and shook hands with the man, exchanging a stiff one-armed hug and clapping the newcomer on the back. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
“I’m stunned you’re here,” Tate said, grinning. He had a nice smile and kind eyes. I liked him immediately. “I thought you’d never come to one of these things again.”
“Well, that was the plan,” Aric said, sliding his eyes in my direction. “Oh, where are my manners? Tate, this is my wife. Zoe, this is one of my childhood friends. He’s a good guy.”
I’d figured that out on my own, but smiled indulgently. “It’s nice to meet you,” I greeted him, shaking his hand. “You knew Aric when he was a kid, huh? What was he like?”
“He was sour and obstinate,” Tate replied, sitting on the other side of the picnic table. “He was also adventurous and never met a rule he didn’t want to break.”
“That sounds like a guy I used to know,” I teased.
“Used to know?” Aric made a face as he rolled his eyes. “I’m still the same rule breaker I always was.”
“Says the guy who yells if I leave the screen door unlocked.”
“Hey, given the world we live in, that’s not an outrageous request,” Aric said, smirking. “So, Tate, tell me about yourself. How is life?”
“My life is pretty boring since I got divorced,” Tate said. “Luckily for me, the council eased up on that wolves mating for life thing. If I was forced to stay with Claudette for the rest of our lives, one of us would’ve ended up dead.”
“Claudette?” My eyebrows nearly flew off my forehead. “You were married to her?”
Tate chuckled, amused. “I see you’ve already met,” he said. “Yes. We were married for ten years. It felt like fifty, though.”
“Any kids?” Aric asked.
“We have two boys,” Tate answered. “They’re the only reason I don’t regret the marriage. We have joint custody, so I have them half of the time. They’re great. The oldest is Jackson. He’s fourteen. Miles is twelve.”
“We have a twelve-year-old,” Aric said. “It’s a lovely age.”
Tate barked out a laugh. “I just remind myself that they eventually grow out of being little jerks,” he said. “You have a girl, right?”
Aric nodded. “Sami. Well, Samantha. Everyone calls her Sami.”
“Where is she?”
Aric pointed to a spot across the clearing where James and Helen were making a big show of introducing Sami to their friends.
“Wow. She looks just like you,” Tate said. “That’s too bad. If she looked like her mother, she would be cute.”
Aric made a face while I snickered. “She has her mother’s attitude,” he said. “That’s more than enough.”
“Still, you look happy,” Tate said. “You two clearly aren’t considering splitting up. After going through it myself, I don’t recommend it. Of course, it’s worse to stay married to a woman you can’t stand.”
“I married for life,” Aric said, poking my side. “No matter how irritating my wife is, I love her.”
“That’s sweet … and a little gross,” Tate said. “For the record, though, Zoe is the talk of the gathering. People are whispering about her in every corner.”
“I figured,” Aric said, running his tongue over his teeth. “That’s one of the reasons I never wanted to bring her to one these things. She’s not a zoo exhibit.”
I opened my mouth to say something snide, but Aric cut me off with a shake of his head.
“Don’t make the poop-throwing joke again,” he chided. “As for the rest, I don’t care how much they stare at her. I’m just worried that they’ll try to test her.”
What was that supposed to mean? “Test me? How does that work?”
“It’s a wolf thing,” Tate explained. “When we’re younger, we’re taught to fight against authority because the strongest always prevails. The girls do it, too. Aric is worried the women will try to test you.”
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” I said. “It won’t go how they expect it.”
“No, it won’t,” Aric agreed, his expression grave. “You might want to put the word out that Zoe isn’t to be trifled with. She doesn’t play games the way wolves play games. She plays to win … and she always does.”
Tate’s eyes flashed. “Said like a true man in love.”
“Oh, I love her,” Aric said, “but I’m not exaggerating. Zoe will eat those women for lunch and have room for a gallon of ice cream when she’s done.”
Oh, I think that was the sweetest thing he’s ever said about me.
“I’ll spread the word,” Tate said. “Though I don’t think that will stop them from testing her.”
“Then they’ll have to deal with the consequences,” Aric said. “My wife is terrifying when she wants to be.”
I rolled my eyes as I reached for my beer. “Let the games begin.”
“You might be sorry you said that,” Tate warned.
I almost couldn’t wait to find out which one would approach me first. I had a feeling it would be Claudette, but anything was possible.
Ten
“How can people get up so early here?”
I was annoyed when I found Aric brewing coffee in our small kitchen the next morning. He seemed to be in good spirits. In fact, he looked … invigorated. His appearance reminded me of how he looked after a long night of shifting and running in the woods.
“Not everyone sleeps until ten,” Aric said, grinning when he caught sight of my wet hair. “How did you like the shower?”
“It was cold.”
“Yes, well, get used to that,” he said, shoving my damp hair out of my face and giving me a quick kiss. “So, what do you want to do today?”
“Nap.”
“What else?”
“Eat ice cream.”
Aric is generally a master at putting up with my whims, but his smile slipped as he regarded me. “Maybe we should just go home,” he suggested. “You clearly don’t want to be here. This is why I always told my father it was a bad idea for us to come to these things.”
My heart rolled at his disappointed expression, and I immediately adjusted my attitude. “I was only joking,” I offered. “I’m still waking up. I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“You didn’t upset me, Zoe. I knew you would hate this. Why do you think I tried to protect you for so many years?”
That was an interesting question. He protected me even when I didn’t realize it was happening. That didn’t mean I couldn’t suck it up and make this a pleasant – er, at least tolerable – trip for him. “Aric, I’m sorry.” I rested my hands on his broad chest and marveled at his strength. He put up with a lot where I was concerned. He deserved better than an ungrateful wife. “I’m still waking up. I promise I won’t ruin this for you.”
Aric’s expression twisted. “You can’t ruin anything for me.”
“No, but you’re having a good time,” I said. “I saw you with your friends last night. I’m not talking about Claudette, mind you, but you were genuinely excited to see some of the others. I think you missed them without realizing it.”
“I made a choice a long time ago,” Aric said, his voice calm. “I chose you. I’ve never once regretted that choice.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m starting to think you shouldn’t have been forced to choose at all,” I said. “You should be able to have the best of both worlds.”
“The best, huh?” Aric wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me. “I already have the best.”
“We both agree on that.” I gave him a hug before pulling back and grabbing his mug of coffee. “What kind of things will they be doing today?”
“Well, Tate invited me fishing,” Aric hedged. “I kind of want to go.”
“I’m guessing that’s a dudes-only thing,” I said, sipping the coffee. “Go ahead. I can find something to entertain Sami and me all afternoon.”
“Are you sure?” Aric looked dubious. “I don’t want to abandon you.”
“Fishing for a few hours is hardly abandoning me. I bought trashy gossip magazines. Sami and I can entertain ourselves.”
“I … .” Aric didn’t get a chance to finish his statement because someone knocked on the door and cut him off. We exchanged quizzical looks as he moved in that direction, and when he opened the door he looked surprised to find two female wolves standing on the other side. “Margie. Debbie.”
“Hi, Aric.” The women pushed their way inside without invitation. I recognized them from the bonfire the previous night – both dark-haired women with wide hips and curious stares – and pasted a welcoming smile on my face.
“Good morning, Zoe,” Margie said. “How did you sleep?”
Was that a trick question? “I slept fine,” I lied. “Getting used to a new bed is always a trial, but it wasn’t terrible.”
“That’s good,” Margie said, glancing around. “This is a nice cabin. Your father must’ve arranged it for you.”
If she thought this shack was nice, she clearly lived in a cave or worse. Wait … do wolves live in caves? I think they do. At least they do in a few versions of The Jungle Book. Of course, those were different kinds of wolves. The end story was sort of the same, though. I was merely waiting for the demented snake to show up and eat me alive.
“My father did arrange it,” Aric confirmed. “Zoe isn’t big on camping, though, so I don’t think she appreciates how truly bad some of the other cabins are.”
Well, that made me sound like an elitist. “I’m fine with the cabin.”
“Of course you are.” Debbie’s smile was so wide and smug it reminded me of the Grinch in that Christmas cartoon. It was freaky.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here so early?” Aric asked, grabbing the mug of coffee from me.
“That’s mine.”
“You stole it from me first.”
“Oh, well, if you want to use logic,” I muttered, reaching for one of the other mugs and filling it with coffee. “Do you guys want coffee?”
“I don’t drink caffeine. I like to keep my body pure,” Debbie explained. “It makes breeding easier.”
Ugh. Gross. Who puts it like that? “Oh, well, we’re done breeding,” I said. “I think I’m going to fill myself full of caffeine and go nuts.”
“You’re done?” Margie arched an eyebrow. “You haven’t given Aric a son.”
“I don’t need a son,” Aric interjected. “I have a daughter, and I’m perfectly happy with that.”
“But … what about your name?” Debbie challenged. “How will it carry on?”
“I don’t care if it carries on,” Aric replied, his temper beginning to show. “I don’t live my life by those antiquated rituals. We don’t need a son. We decided we would have one child, and we’re sticking to that.”
“Well, for now,” Debbie said. “You can always change your mind and have another heir down the road. Zoe will be too old, but you won’t be. You could even get a wolf surrogate and have a full-blooded child. That’s probably what you’re waiting for, huh?”
Wait … what exactly was she suggesting? “How does that work?”
“There are surrogates in every pack,” Debbie explained. “They’re for wolves who didn’t get the sons they wanted from their first wives. They’re for mating and child rearing when the first wife … takes on a more administrative role.”
Okay. Now I was really confused. “Aric?”
“Ignore them,” Aric instructed. “They’re trying to get under your skin. That’s not a real thing.”
“It is so a real thing,” Margie shot back. “It’s in all of our history books.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s still practiced,” Aric argued.
“So, is this in your history books along with the dude who humped a wolf and had a baby?” I asked.
Debbie growled at my condescending tone. “I’ll have you know … .”
“Shut up, Debbie,” Aric snapped, his vehemence taking me by surprise. “If you came here to cause trouble – and don’t think I’m unaware of your ties to Claudette – you can just march your annoying behinds back out the door.”
“We’re not here to cause trouble,” Margie sniffed, adopting an offended look. “We just want to get to know Zoe.”
“Yeah, somehow I have my doubts,” Aric said, shaking his head as he leveled his gaze at me. “Why don’t you and Sami come fishing with us? I think that would be best for everyone.”
He clearly didn’t want that. “I think that sounds like a surefire way for us to argue,” I replied. “Sami and I are fine. Go fishing. We’ll be okay.”
“I … .” Aric appeared uncertain as he rolled his neck until it cracked.
“You heard her, Aric,” Margie said, stroking her hand over his heavily muscled arms and widening her eyes. “Go fishing. We’ll take care of Zoe.”
“How are y
ou going to take care of Zoe?” Aric asked, suspicious.
“We’re playing games this afternoon.”
Aric immediately started shaking his head. “No way. Zoe and Sami don’t want to play the games.”
“They won’t be hard games,” Debbie said. “We’re playing Hide and Seek.”
“Hide and Seek?” That sounded … weird. “Why would adults play that?”
“It’s more of a game for the kids,” Debbie explained. “We teach our youngsters how to hunt and hide, and an organized game is the perfect way to do it. The kids love it, and learn at the same time.”
That didn’t sound terrible. It didn’t sound fun either, mind you, but it didn’t sound terrible. “Sure,” I said. “Sami and I would love to play Hide and Seek.”
“Great,” Margie enthused, exchanging a quick look with Debbie. The glee they silently shared wasn’t lost on me. They had every intention of making us look bad once we were part of the game. “How soon can you be ready?”
I shrugged and glanced at the bedroom where Sami still slept. As if on cue, the door opened and Sami shuffled out, Trouble right behind her. Her hair stood on end and she looked dazed and confused.
“How can you people be up so early?” Sami groused. “Is it the end times?”
I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. “Give us thirty minutes.”
“I THINK this is a terrible idea.”
Aric kept a firm hold on my wrist as he directed me to a private spot close to a large pine tree.
“I thought you were going fishing?” I challenged.
“I was, but now I think I should stick close to you,” Aric said. “If you’re going to be playing games … .”
“What? What do you think will happen?”
“Well, I think you’re a poor loser, and they’re even worse,” Aric replied, refusing to back down. “Zoe, they’ve got something up their sleeves.”
“They’re wearing tank tops.”
“You know what I mean,” Aric said, flicking me between the eyebrows. “Zoe, they want to make you look bad. You see that, right?”
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 35