by RJ Blain
I made it two steps onto the porch when the wood creaked alarmingly beneath my feet. Freezing in place, I stared down at my feet. While the wood had a fresh coat of stain and sealer, the edges of the boards were worn away. I shifted my foot, grimacing as a chunk of the plank crumbled away. “Right. So, where are the keys?”
Wendy chuckled, easing by me and placed her feet with deliberate care. Following her path, I wondered what my mate’s home looked like on the inside. Unlike the Desmond’s home, Sanders didn’t have an alarm system.
The first thing I noticed was the lack of pictures and decorations. The living room was meant for function, although the couch did look comfortable enough. I drew in a deep breath and forgot about his furnishings as my mate’s scent filled my nose.
Amused his home had the same lack of creature comforts and personal effects as my apartment, I tailed Wendy to a small office across the house. She opened a safe, dug through a mess of papers, and pulled out a set of keys. Jingling them at me, she handed them over. After several long minutes of shuffling through papers, she pulled a few out, folded them up, and stuffed them in her purse.
“Okay, head on back to the car. There’s one thing I want to grab, and I’ll be out.”
I frowned.
Giving me a gentle shove in the direction of the front door, Wendy said, “Go. If I let you prowl around his house, we’ll never get you out of here. Don’t pretend. I saw you sniffing for your mate’s scent like it’s a drug.”
I giggled. “I solemnly swear I will not put up a fight about leaving the house.”
“Go. I’m just grabbing one thing. Take the keys to Amber, and get the truck started.”
Sighing my surrender, I did as told, careful to keep my steps light in fear I’d find the weak spot in the floor and go crashing through the ancient boards. Once outside, I held up the keys and waved them in Amber’s direction.
“I can’t believe we’re stealing Sanders’s truck,” the witch mumbled, taking them from me. “Lisa, you want to drive the rental?”
“Of course. If we let my sister drive it, we’ll never reach Alaska in one piece.”
“Thanks, Lisa. It’s nice to know you have my back.”
“Maybe if you didn’t have a tendency to destroy vehicles, I would have faith you wouldn’t wreck the rental.”
Amber shook her head, unlocked the truck, and clambered inside with the help of the step. “Welcome to my life, Sara. I don’t suppose you want to convince Sanders to come live in Yellowknife, do you? It’d be nice to have someone calm and respectable around the lodge for a change.”
“Be nice, Amber,” Nicolina chided.
By the time Lisa was behind the wheel of the SUV and I had taken the passenger front seat of the truck, Wendy returned carrying a blue, plush blanket and a pillow. She came to my door, and with a grin, tossed them up to me. “There. Now you can sniff your mate’s scent the entire drive to Alaska if you don’t find his truck sufficient.”
Laughing, Amber started the truck. “Good thought, Wendy. I keep forgetting how newly mated you two are—having his scent around will keep you relaxed, Sara. I give it a week before Nicolina’s ready to crawl out of her skin. Lisa’s more contained, but that’s because of her work. I’m actually surprised you haven’t been edgy yet, Wendy.”
“I simply remind myself I’m playing a game with my mate. I’m winning,” Wendy replied.
“A rare occasion,” Nicolina muttered. “And don’t let Lisa trick you, Amber. She gets just as anxious as I do. She’s just better at hiding it.”
“Then we’ll just have to make sure we don’t take too many detours on the way to Alaska so I can get you bitches back to your mates.”
Two exits before the border, Amber found a large lot, put the truck in park, and turned to me. “You get to drive, Sara.”
“I get to what?” I blurted, my eyes widening.
“Drive. We’re going to spend the next hour practicing in this nice, empty parking lot. You’re on Sanders’s insurance. You’re technically the co-owner of the vehicle—we’re not. We’re all insured, but if they ask questions, it’s easier if we do it this way.”
“I still haven’t figured out how we’re getting across the border without passports,” I muttered.
“Leave that to me,” Amber replied. “I’m technically a government official, as are Nicolina and Lisa. All you have to do is drive the truck through the gate, hand the nice guard a stack of ids and a couple of pieces of paper, and answer his questions—or let me answer if you don’t know. We might get pulled in, but if we do, it’s no issue. After one phone call we’ll be on the road again.”
“This sounds like one bad idea after another,” I confessed, unbuckling my seatbelt. “If I crash his truck, I’ll die.”
Amber grinned at me. “You’re not going to crash his truck. It’s actually really nice to drive. If you do crash into something, chances are, the truck will win. This baby is a tank. I never thought Sanders would get a Toyota, but I have to say, this is one nice vehicle.”
Chuckling, Nicolina leaned between the front seats. “I know. I thought he would have gone for a Silverado, but he picked the Tundra. Anyway, driving really isn’t all that hard. You’ll figure it out fast. Despite what they like saying about me, I’m a good driver—I just have terrible luck.”
Wendy coughed, and I recognized the sound of her attempting to swallow her laughter. “It’s true. She can do things with cars most people can’t, so long as fate ignores her existence. Most of the crashes haven’t been her fault. Though, you do have a history with Sanders’s property, my daughter. The first time you crashed something, it was one of his pack vans.”
“I can’t believe you’re making me drive,” I complained, sliding out of my seat and to the ground.
It was so cold outside I shuddered and hurried around the truck so I could retreat into its warmth. Amber took over my seat, folding up Sanders’s blanket and cramming it between the front seats. “You’ll be fine. I’ve told you everything you need to know, I’ve quizzed you on it several times on the ride, and you understand the difference between red, yellow, and green. All you need to do at this point is learn to keep it between the lines and park it. A little experience, and you’ll be fine.”
“You make it sound so easy. I’m sure it’s not,” I grumbled.
“You’re driving a tank, Sara. No one on the road wants to hit you. Watch your speed, keep the truck between the lines, and you’ll be fine. Trust me. They’ll see your truck and decide to give you plenty of space. I’ll help you with any merging you need to do. If you can follow directions, you’ll be fine,” Amber reassured me.
Mumbling curses, I buckled my seatbelt, drew a deep breath, and twisted so I could glare at the pedals. “Big one is brake, little one is gas, big one is brake, little one is gas,” I mumbled.
Amber laughed. “Don’t put the truck in drive yet. Get a feel for where the pedals are. Remember, you drive with one foot only. You’ll be fine.”
There was something exhilarating about driving a truck as large and powerful as my mate’s. My wolf delighted in the way it responded when I hit the gas, its engine growling. I loved how easy it was to turn the wheel and make the vehicle go exactly where I wanted.
Reverse proved trickier, but my wolf found using the mirrors to drive challenging and interesting. I giggled while Nicolina and Lisa pretended to be parked cars. Once satisfied I could handle the most common maneuvers, Amber gathered all of our IDs. I was the only one without an actual passport, but Amber assured me she’d be able to get me into Canada—and back into the US again when we reached Alaska.
To my relief, there was no wait to cross the border, and at Amber’s direction, I coaxed the truck into the lane, coming to a halt near the guard’s booth. Taking up all of our IDs and the paperwork Amber produced, I held them out to the man.
“Where are you going?” he demanded, going through the stack. His eyebrows rose when he unfolded the sheets Amber had given to me to hand over.<
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“Anchorage, Alaska,” I replied.
“Purpose?”
“Visiting family.” It was the truth, although if the border guard ever learned why we were paying a visit to my father, we’d never make it to Alaska.
“What are your nationalities?”
As Amber had coached me on the approach, I gave the man the information. “I’m American, she’s American,” I replied, pointing to Wendy in the back. “The others are Canadian.” I wondered how I would explain how the two daughters of the American were Canadian and not American—or if they were both. Once safely beyond the border, I’d have to ask.
“Are there any weapons in the vehicle?” the guard demanded.
Amber leaned over and said, “Three Beretta M9s, sir. The unsigned forms are on the bottom of the stack along with a full listing of all ammunition.”
The guard handed me the papers and cards, pointing at the nearby building. “Pull up there, Ma’am. You’ll need to sign for your weapons with an agent inside.”
“Thank you, sir,” I replied, handing the sheets and cards to Amber. After a moment of hesitation, I put the truck into drive and headed to the building. I was shaking by the time I found a spot and turned the engine off. “Is that it?”
“That’s it. I’ll take it from here. I’ll have to go bully some people so they don’t go tattling we were here.”
“You did just fine, Sara,” Wendy soothed. “Cuddle up with your blanket, and take a few deep breaths.”
Drawing a deep breath didn’t help much. I unbuckled my seatbelt, sliding out of the truck to come face to face with a border guard carrying a machine gun. I inhaled, retreating until my back pressed against the seat.
“Your keys, please,” he requested, holding out his hand.
Shaking from head to toe, I held them out. Amber came to my rescue, flashing her ID while linking her elbow with mine. “We will be taking the ammunition boxes and guns inside.”
The guard examined Amber’s ID. Straightening, he saluted. “Yes, ma’am. We’ll keep a close watch over your vehicle, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” Amber replied, dragging me towards the building. “The good news? We won’t have to wait long in line. The bad news? I’ll have to face an interrogation. The good news? You get to wait inside with the Desmonds while I handle it.”
“That’s good news?” I asked.
All three of the Desmonds glared at me.
Prodding me in the ribs, Wendy said, “You’re feisty today.”
“I’m a Murphy now, thank you very much,” Nicolina declared, wrinkling her nose. “The only Desmond here is the troublemaker, though.”
Amber chuckled. “Once a Desmond, always a Desmond.”
“If any of you cause any problems, you’re riding in the back,” I muttered.
Wrinkling her nose at me, Wendy shook her head and muttered, “You really are feisty today.”
Laughing, Amber replied, “It’s the truck. Whoever drives it gets a temporary boost of testosterone. It’ll wear off.” Taking in the light crowds waiting for a customs agent, she gestured to a spot in the corner. “Go wait over there while I deal with the details.”
An hour after arriving at the border, we were able to leave. It had begun to snow, dusting my mate’s truck with white. I reclaimed the front passenger seat, grabbing Sanders’s blanket to ward away the chill. His scent made me miss him even more.
Once my father was dealt with, I wasn’t going to let my mate leave my sight, not if I could avoid it.
“I’ve been thinking,” Amber announced, starting the truck.
Leaning between the seats, Nicolina regarded Amber with a frown. “This can’t be good. When you get ideas, someone gets hurt, and that someone is usually me.”
Amber pressed her elbow to Nicolina’s forehead and shoved the other woman back. “The peanut gallery should return to her seat and buckle up.”
“Girls, behave,” ordered Wendy. “What’s on your mind, Amber?”
Driving well below the speed limit, Amber headed northbound. “We know Sara’s father is dangerous. I’m armed, Lisa is armed, and Nicolina is armed, but every time I consider it, I think everyone should be going in packing enough heat to stand up in a fire fight—plus body armor. We’re going to make a pit stop. I’m running everyone through a course or two. If we’re going in for a kill, we’re all going in prepared for it. At the very least, you’ll understand how guns work and learn gun safety, Sara.”
“This is going to suck,” Nicolina predicted. “Please tell me we’re not doing the three day special, Amber. Please. I beg of you.”
“I won’t tell you, then. Buck up, woman. You can compete with your sister to see who is the top dog of the course.”
Wailing her dismay, Nicolina pounded the back of Amber’s seat. “Cruel and unusual punishment!”
“I thought we were hiding from the Inquisition,” Lisa pointed out. “Your idea means going to an installation. Watson Lake?”
“No, Cassiar,” Amber replied. “Carrie owes me a favor. I bet I could get her to give us access and keep her mouth shut until we’ve finished our hit. It’ll be easier to convince the Canadians to keep quiet.”
“Cassiar,” Lisa murmured. “Okay. Do they even have a course worth a second look? It won’t be fun if I have to defeat my sister on a lackluster course.”
“I’m going to wipe the floor with you,” Nicolina swore.
“Girls, behave.”
“You haven’t been to Cassiar, Lisa?” Amber snickered. “You’re in for a treat. It’s almost as good as Nevada’s primary range.”
“No shit!”
“You’re not going to run pregnant women through the gauntlet are you?” At the worry in Nicolina’s voice, I twisted around to glance at her. She met my gaze and forced a smile. “It’s not fun.”
“We’re not here for fun,” I reminded her. “What’s involved, Amber?”
“Three days, shoot until you can’t any more, a few hours of sleep, rinse and repeat. Since we don’t want to risk the puppies, I’ll be nicer to you than I was to Nicole, but—”
“There’s no need to be nice to me,” I growled. “Will doing this make me useful?”
“More useful than you are now, and I can get you a carry permit at the same time. Sanders will feel better knowing you can protect yourself. Now, I’m not expecting you to come out an expert, but you’ll be so used to handling a gun you won’t feel like you’re useless—or a risk to everyone around you. If your father does get close to you, I want you to be able to take the shot.”
“I’m in.”
If killing my father was necessary to secure my future with my mate, it was a price I was willing to pay. No one else deserved to stain their hands with his blood. I hoped I would be able to learn what had happened to my mother before I pulled the trigger.
Nicolina, Amber, and Lisa took turns driving. Twenty hours after leaving the border, we pulled into the parking lot of a shop dedicated to rocks and gemstones. Puzzled, I stared at the building before narrowing my eyes to regard Amber suspiciously. “It’s a store. It sells rocks.”
“It’s a convenient place to park while I make a phone call,” Amber stated, pulling out her new phone. She dialed a number and put it to her ear. “Cassiar outpost, please.”
The five minute wait left Amber drumming her fingers against the steering wheel. Her posture relaxed when I heard the murmur of someone speaking on the other end of the line.
“It’s Amber. I need a quiet run at the course for three days for five people. A shared suite is preferred if you have one. I’m at the shop. Red truck, Washington plates. Call me back on this number when we’re cleared. We’ll be waiting. I want this very quiet.”
She hung up without waiting for an answer.
Sighing, Nicolina reached up and poked Amber’s side. “When I suggested a resort, I did not mean a torture chamber. Resorts are fun.”
“Stop whining, Nicole. You survived just fine. Sara’s tough, as is your mother.
They’ll have sore hands, some blisters, and an assortment of bumps and bruises, but they’ll be fine. You need the practice, anyway. Richard has spoiled you rotten—and you’re no different, Lisa. Use the chance to get some of your edge back. If I thought we had a week to spend, we would.” Amber sighed. “At least we’re just taking down a Fenerec. It’s not a sorcerer.”
I winced. “Agreed.”
I’d be happy if I could avoid meeting a sorcerer ever again. Kent’s delight at the idea of torturing my mate haunted me. Growling at the thought of what might have been, I clenched my hands into fists.
“Fenerec are dangerous enough, especially if he’s managed to make himself into an Alpha,” Nicolina growled. “Dominants are bad, but Alphas are so much worse.”
Wrinkling her nose, Amber unbuckled her seatbelt so she could kneel on her seat to face backwards. “I’m aware. While I realize you’re all mated to Alpha-quality Fenerec, there’s a huge difference between tame ones and the type we’ll likely have to face.”
“Richard, tame?” Nicolina laughed, and it was a bitter sound. “Give me a break, Amber. He’s tame when everything’s going just like he wants—screw with his ideal little world and things go to shit fast. I have no delusions about my mate. If Alex and Desmond weren’t with him, I wouldn’t have agreed to come on this little jaunt at all. As it is, I expect he’ll be a handful when we return home.”
Sighing, Amber shook her head. “He’s not that bad.”
“Oh, he is,” Wendy disagreed. “You weren’t around when he courted Nicolina. He’s a lot better than he used to be! After they met, he ran wild several times in a span of three or four months. On his own he was bad enough, but without fail, he managed to get my daughter involved in one way or another. Charles didn’t believe me when I told him there would be a marriage or a murder. He should have. If he had, things would have been so much easier on them.”
“Can we not talk about this,” Nicolina begged.
I joined Amber and kneeled on the seat to watch Wendy and her daughters. “Will Sanders be as problematic?” I demanded.