by RJ Blain
My mate’s hand tensed against my throat. “What are you talking about?”
“Typical. So blinded by the pretty skirt you couldn’t see what was going on right under your nose, huh? Couldn’t tell they’d been feeding her their bullshit because they were jealous of the new bitch on the block, could you? If that doesn’t clue you in on what’s going on in her head, I’ll explain it after I get her body temperature back up somewhere above freezing. Now shut up and let me work, though honestly, it’d probably be a hell of a lot more merciful if I let the poor thing die. She doesn’t want to live, and unless that changes, we’re just drawing out the inevitable.”
My wolf was in control, and she tethered me to her with a determination I hadn’t experienced since she had forced me to survive Rory and Isabella’s attack. With every breath she growled, and while I drifted in a semi-conscious haze, I was aware of people nearby—people I didn’t want close to me.
She sheltered me, hiding me from those I never wanted to face again.
When they dared to approach too close, my wolf bristled and warned them off with bared teeth and hoarse snarls. When they stayed away, my wolf coughed, and the pain in her throat woke my awareness of the rest of my wolf’s aches.
She shuddered from the cold, her fur drenched with seawater. The surf swirled around her paws. Something in the ocean frightened her, warning her from going any deeper, but those on the shore blocked her from running as she wanted, leaving her forced to stand where the land and the sea met.
“This is obviously not working,” Desmond stated, his voice weary. “If we don’t get her out of that water, she really will die.”
“She won’t,” Dustin replied. “Not for a while, at least. I’m moderating her temperature. Small as she is, I could probably do it all night long if needed. Gentlest damned wild wolf I’ve ever seen, though. Why can’t all you flea-ridden mongrels be so nice after you’ve snapped? Hasn’t killed anyone, and unless I’m wrong, all she wants is for everyone to back off and leave her alone. I’d say send her Stud Muffin out to get her, but he’d sneeze and break her in half, tiny thing that she is. I’ve seen more threatening Chihuahuas.”
“With how you keep running your mouth, I can’t tell if you have a death wish or if you’re damned confident,” Desmond muttered. “I’d send him out to get her, except you ordered him to back off.”
“You won’t kill me, and we both know it. You don’t want to fight Mom or Dad. Anyway, I was hoping she’d go rabid and chew off that Second’s face. Hey, pretty little princess, you can if you want. Holly’ll put her gun away, and we’ll all look the other way. Bite his face right off. There’s lots of blood and good protein in faces, I’m sure of it. I’ll even hold him down for you,” the water witch crooned, kneeling within arm’s reach of me. “I’ll come up with a clever little story to tell the uppers. We’ll give him a pair of concrete shoes and dump him in the drink to get rid of the evidence. It’ll be fun.”
My wolf cocked an ear forward, and with deliberate care, she licked her chops, intrigued by the idea of sinking her teeth into the ones who had hurt us.
“Please don’t give her ideas, Dusty,” Holly begged.
“Why not? Would do the bitch some good getting back some of her own. She’s scrawny and needs to eat more, too. Let her prove her worth a bit. We’ll give the mutts a handicap and let them get a good taste of what it’s like to beat up on someone entirely incapable of self-defense. Look at all the fucking fuss that limp dick in there made about his precious little submissive bitch. She ain’t even his mate. Compared to the pretty little princess freezing her furry ass off in the ocean, she’s as submissive as a rabid wolverine. Maybe I should lock them all down and let the bitches duke it out. If that skank in there is half as submissive as they say, letting our little lady here rip some holes in her hide’ll send a message to the entire pack. Oh, I know. I could leech into their pack bonds and give them a taste of what they’ve caused. Come on, we could watch the entire Seattle pack implode. It would only take a few minutes.”
Crouching beside the witch, Desmond shook his head and sighed. “You’re quite the colorful witch.”
“Admit it; you like the idea.”
“I’ll like it a lot better when she’s out of the water.”
“Bah, she’s perfectly safe right where she is. She’s not going anywhere.”
“There is an entire ocean she could go swimming in, Dustin.”
“Sure there is, but I asked a few friends to keep an eye on her from under the waves. They scare her more than you do, I’m sure.”
Desmond’s eyes narrowed, and the annoyance in his scent strengthened. “What’s in the water?”
“Oh, just a great white shark and a couple of her friends. The pretty little princess wouldn’t make much of a snack for them, so they’ll just nudge her back to shore. I told them they could eat the other wolves, unless it was Stud Muffin. I figured if we were going through the trouble of keeping her alive, it was in our best interest to keep Stud Muffin off the allowed list of furry delicacies.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Me? Joke about something like that?” With a snort, Dustin knelt into the water, slapping his hand at the surf.
A shark erupted out of the waves beside me, belly flopping in the surf, its tail lashing. It turned its head to me and opened its mouth. My wolf got one good look into its maw, which was larger than her by a notable margin, and was so frightened she lost control, leaving me to face the shark on my own.
Dustin grabbed hold of me by the scruff and deposited me on the shark’s back. “Your very own tiger shark. Let those big bad wolves try to snap their teeth at you now.”
I trembled, panting as I gawked at the shark underneath my paws. It was easily fifteen feet long, maybe larger, and slapped at the water with its tail while the waves flowed around it. Whining, I turned in a circle, and in the moonlight peeking through the clouds, I counted at least ten more dorsal fins cutting through the water nearby.
“So, here we are, pretty little princess. You can come play with me, and I’ll take good care of you, or you can stay with your new shark friend. She’ll keep those other pests away from you until you’re ready to come out of the water. Just don’t forget her other friends. They get bored and like to play.”
I tested my footing on the shark’s slippery hide, lost my balance, and tumbled into the ocean. Dustin plucked me out by my scruff, pausing long enough to give his shark friend a couple of strokes before heading for shore.
The shark slipped back into the water and disappeared beneath the waves.
“I think her little wolf’s afraid of sharks,” Dustin teased, cradling me in the crook of his arm. “There you go. See? I’m certainly not going to hurt you. Stud Muffin’s too much work to fight, no matter how much fun it is to yank his tail.”
With my wolf so terrified, I couldn’t relinquish control to her even though I didn’t want it. To ease her fear, I kept a careful watch on the water. One by one, the dorsal fins disappeared beneath the surface, although I had no doubts they lurked nearby, waiting for an easy meal.
“How is she?” Desmond demanded.
“Take alive for the victory it is, Mr. Desmond. If you want a miracle, go ask a priest.”
“I’d like something a little more concrete than that, please.”
“Forcing her to change helped with the hypothermia. Stud Muffin being able to find her so fast made the most difference. Maybe he’s blind, but he damn sure does have a strong fix on her. I’ve never seen anyone move so fast in my life.”
“You moved pretty fast yourself,” Holly commented.
“Did you really want to get into a fight with Stud Muffin? I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
“I am,” Desmond promised. “What else?”
“Well, her wolf’s too frightened of the sharks to come out and play, so the pretty little princess is in control, though I can’t say for how long. Neither one of them are exactly firing on all cylinders. U
gh, she’s shedding wet fur all over me. I can probably work with her if needed, but you’ll want to give her a chance to sort her shit out. The real problem is getting her into a pack. Maybe you could try to subjugate her, sir, but if my guess is right, she’s so afraid of what she’s been taught packs are that I doubt you’d get it to stick for long.”
“She wouldn’t exactly have much of a choice,” Desmond replied.
“I might like running my mouth, but I’m not stupid. A smart broad like her is capable of figuring out the trick of busting out of pack bonds. She’s been through it, what, twice this month? Was she in a pack when she was first made? If so, three times. This time she wanted out, and I’d bet her wolf was paying attention so no one could hurt her like that again.”
Snarling with every breath, Desmond focused on me. When I whined and flinched away, his attention turned to Dustin. “Fenerec belong in packs.”
“You heard her, sir. She called Stud Muffin—her mate—a ‘fucking piece of shit liar’ because he promised her a home with his pack. I’ve been around Fenerec all of my life, sir. When an Alpha gives that sort of promise, he means it. Need I remind you this is the same bitch who was so desperate to get back to her mate she attacked a sorcerer with her feet and won? Take a good look at her and stop seeing whatever the fuck delusions you want to see. I prefer fact, not fantasy.”
Holly sighed. “I’d apologize for him, but he’s right, sir.”
“I need to know what I’m working with.”
“All right, if you want to know what you’re working with, maybe I’ll give you a taste. You be damned gentle with her, sir, or I’ll feed you to my sharks and to hell with the Inquisition.”
“You’ll have no reason to feed me to your sharks, I assure you. Let’s make a bet.”
“What bet?” the witch demanded.
“Hand me Sara so I can have a heart to heart with her for a few minutes. When I’m done, she’ll either be with Wendy and me, or I’ll be calling Richard to come see what he can do. Maybe she’ll even be willing to give her mate’s pack one last try. Once I’m done talking to her, should she refuse, you can, as you suggest, give me a taste—if you feel it is necessary.”
“And if you win?”
“You’ll owe me one favor, which I can call in when needed. It’s always good to have a strong witch owing me a favor.”
“And if I win?”
“What do you want?”
“Negotiate a pay raise for me, Holly, and her mate.”
“I can promise to make a concerted effort to ensure such an arrangement.”
“Deal.”
I turned my ears back, but when Dustin handed me over to Desmond, I submitted, cringing from shame and worry. Instead of growling or snarling, he held me close to his chest, resting his chin on my back “All right. I’m going to take her just over there. Some things don’t need an audience.”
“My sharks are game for out of water hunting,” Dustin called.
“There’ll be no need for land sharks, I assure you.” Snorting, Desmond carried me away from Holly and Dustin, sitting down where the grass and the sand met. He placed me on his lap, keeping a firm grip on my scruff. “First, none of this is your fault, and I’ll keep telling you that until you believe it. If it takes me ten years of breathing down your neck, so be it. Yes, Sanders was upset. That’s because he loves his pack almost as much as he loves you.”
I turned my ears back. No matter what he said, I couldn’t compete with my mate’s pack.
“I don’t think you believe me. Well, let me tell you what happened after you stormed off. Sanders wanted to follow you, but I thought you needed the fresh air. Joseph started stammering some half-assed apology, but I didn’t buy it, and neither did your mate. Satisfaction has a scent, and Joseph reeked of it. It took your mate less than ten minutes to realize something was seriously wrong in his pack, though I don’t think he has any idea of the scale. Neither did I. We all went outside so we could avoid the Normals and get some fresh air ourselves.”
I huffed, turning my head to watch the ocean. Resting my chin on Desmond’s knee, I sighed.
“When you drowned, your mate headed right for where you were with Dustin on his heels. Sanders couldn’t find you since you’d already gone under, but Dustin went in without missing a beat. Within a minute, he had you back on shore. Dustin’s a damned good water witch, but he can’t bring the dead back to life, and there’s only so much he can do without a beating heart to work with. Sanders managed to resuscitate you, though I’m still not sure how.”
For a long moment, Desmond remained silent, and he worked his fingers into my fur. “I’ll be damned; Dustin wasn’t kidding about you shedding all over the place. Anyway, your mate had a breakdown, unsurprisingly, and his Second got a real good look at just how serious the mating bond between you two is, as did Chrissy. Wendy’s with Sanders, and she’ll keep him together, don’t worry. He didn’t like leaving you, but Dustin’s pretty convincing. Now, I’m not going to promise Sanders won’t be infuriated with you for scaring him like that, but he’ll vent, and then he’ll do everything he can to convince you how precious you are to him. You gave us a fright we won’t forget anytime soon.”
Desmond’s phone rang, and with a sigh, he shifted, dug it out of his pocket, and answered it, all without letting go of my scruff. “Desmond.”
I sighed, and all of my doubts and fears resurfaced. Why would Sanders want me at all, when all I brought him was trouble and misery?
“Relax, Pup. She’s on my lap, calm as can be. No, you can’t talk to her. After you left, Dustin and I forced her to change to her wolf. When she’s ready, I’ll bring her back. Why don’t you take your pack and my mate, return to the hotel, and have a long, serious talk on the way. Connect your phone to the rental’s stereo and call Seattle. Chew them all out at the same time. I’ll catch a lift with Holly and Dustin. No, I’m not going to change my mind. Yes, I’m going to insist. Find your mate’s things, if you can, and take them with you. No, I already told you I won’t change my mind. Go, Sanders. Get your pack in order and put an end to this bullshit. I’ll take care of Sara, seeing your pack is incapable of taking care of one of their own.”
Desmond sighed, shook his head, and hung up. “Wendy and I are more than happy to have you join us, Sara. You’d be close to your mate all the time since my territory is actually within his territory. You’d have a safe place to go if his pack frightens you. Wendy may not be as submissive as Chrissy, but you’ll find she’s far, far better at her job. If your pack wasn’t so damned jealous, Chrissy probably would have been your first friend.”
Unable to believe I could be friends with any of them, I shook my head.
“It’s true. Submissive wolves are compelled to try to make things better for their pack. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s taking this the hardest, because preventing pack members from going off the deep end is her job, and she’s failed at it rather spectacularly. Sure, you upset your mate enough to coerce him into breaking you free of the pack bonds, but the bonds tying Fenerec together aren’t so easily forgotten. It hurts us when one of our pack dies, but to be the cause of it? It goes against what pack means. Yes, they were jealous, yes, they were stupid, but I don’t believe for an instant they wanted you dead.”
Stroking his hand through my fur, Desmond sighed before waggling his fingers in front of my nose. Dark fur clung to his skin. “I’m going to make you an offer that will get me in a great deal of trouble with the Shadow Pope, but I’m going to do it anyway. Let me pull you into my little pack of two. We’ll show you how packs are supposed to work, teach you the ropes a bit, and once you’re settled, Seattle can petition to have you. It’ll drive your mate wild having to beg me for permission. More importantly, because he can’t subjugate any wolf from me I don’t want him to take, he’ll have to have his pack sorted out properly. If he can get them all working together to steal you from me, they can. Given a week, they’ll understand how destructive their choice was to Sande
rs.”
I whined. Dying was supposed to free my mate, not make him suffer.
“I’m not stupid enough to think there’s a magic bandage for what happened tonight, either. You’ll remember, your mate will remember, and Seattle’s pack will remember. It’s entirely possible you’ll be fighting this for a long time. I’m not going to make you a bunch of pretty, false promises. You’ll get through tonight, and it’ll be a victory. Each day you make it through, it’ll be a victory. Honestly, you probably won’t view it as one, but we will. One day, maybe a month from now, maybe in two or three years, you’ll wake up and go through the motions of telling yourself everything’ll be okay. But you’ll actually believe it, it’ll surprise you, and you’ll find you can move on.”
Turning my ears back, I listened, had my doubts, and remained quiet.
“All I want from you is one thing, Sara. If you feel like you did tonight, and you can’t handle it, find someone to talk to. If you can’t, just run away. Live to fight another day. Of course, your mate will chase you; he’ll be furious, worried, and terrified of losing you. He’ll eventually catch you, he’ll scold you fiercely for scaring him, and he’ll be so grateful you’re still alive to scold he’ll probably cry, which will be awkward for all parties involved. Just ask Wendy; she’ll confirm it. She’ll probably delight in embarrassing me.”
I sighed.
“If half of what you and Dustin said is true, you have damned good reason to be afraid, and even fewer reasons to trust me. Give me and Wendy a chance. If you don’t feel safe and wanted, you can leave our little pack and be a lone wolf, to hell with what anyone else says. I’ll introduce you to Richard, and if you don’t like what he has to offer with his pack, that’s fine as well. But, if you’re with me, your mate won’t worry as much, and he’ll feel he’s been given a chance to prove himself and his pack to you. They have a lot to prove, and don’t think for a single minute you’re not worth the effort, because you are.”