by RJ Blain
So many assumptions, so little time. Some of her assumptions were correct: once I got my hands on her, I wouldn’t let her go until I was certain no one would doubt she was mine and I was hers. As for being a wonder to behold, we wouldn’t know until I tried, and I had no intention of disappointing her. What she neglected to say was that the lycanthrope ladies had the same reputation, and I looked forward to her getting her hands on me.
If her parents’ home didn’t survive, they only had themselves to blame.
An older man in worn jeans and a flannel shirt dozed on the porch steps, blocking the way to the front door. Ethel’s patience-worn sigh worried me, as I expected her temper would fray easier than normal.
Collared, leashed, and handcuffed wouldn’t do much to protect her targets. She’d find a way to turn my bag into a lethal weapon. Would the sleeper on the step survive?
I’d find out soon enough.
“Uncle Alan, why are you sleeping outside?”
“I annoyed your ma. She kicked me out, said not to come back in until you came home for a visit, and refuses to give me my keys. That damned brat of mine stole my car, too. Been here three days now, and I’ve been told I should be grateful she’s feeding me.”
“That was stupid of you.”
“Didn’t think it’d take a hunter so long to catch you. Gonna have to give that pack of yours some credit for keeping you so long.” Ethel’s uncle cracked open an eye, looked me over, and whistled. “Forget that other male, baby girl. Claim this one. You ain’t gonna find a prettier one in the state. How’d he get a collar on you without you ripping his arms off and feeding them to him?”
“Uncle! This is Dale.”
Ethel’s uncle opened his other eye and both his brows rose. “Your Dale’s a hybrid?!”
“Surprised me, too,” she admitted.
“That explains the collar and the cuffs. You’re making him look all fierce for my brother and his lady?”
“I think he’s trying to prevent murders. Yours.”
Ethel’s uncle chuckled and lurched upright. “Don’t get all upset over nothin’, baby girl. So, son. You claimin’ the bounties?”
“That’s the idea, sir,” I replied. “I’m going to buy us a nice house with the money.”
“One good for puppies?”
I flicked an ear back and struggled to control my tail. Wagging wouldn’t win me anything except some embarrassment. “One that’ll survive two newly mated lycanthropes, sir.”
He laughed. “If it can survive that, it should survive puppies—maybe. You took your sweet time working my niece. You planning on landing her sometime this year, or are we going to have to encourage you to get a move on?”
“Uncle Alan!” Ethel snarled and tightened her hold on my bag. “I swear, if he gets scared off because of you, no one—”
I tugged on Ethel’s leash. “I’m not sure I can afford a durable house and bail.”
“Damn it, Dale!”
“You’re worrying over nothing.”
Her pout tempted me into beating her uncle so I could take her off and get straight to the mating frenzy part of our day. “But I want to beat sense into him.”
I wanted him to go away, but I restrained myself. Given a few more minutes, she’d need to collar and leash me. Both of us riled up would lead directly to disaster. Lycanthrope males had a reputation of being dangerous, but I’d seen the truth often enough within our pack: it often took violence or intimacy to calm a female ready to rampage. Males had the same issue, but I could be reasoned with—usually.
Ethel tended to stick to her guns, and she was good enough with most weapons the CDC gave her, even the big ones when needed. However, she didn’t need weapons to be dangerous.
I’d have to request a pay increase for saving her uncle’s life. I sighed. “You might regret killing him later, Ethel.”
“Like hell I will!”
“Ethel.”
“What? He’s an ass. My entire family? Asses.”
Ethel’s uncle snickered. “Can’t say she’s wrong, son.”
“Let’s try to get through the evening without mauling anyone, please. I’ve reached my quota of maulings for the week.”
“I don’t know, Dale. Dad deserves it.”
I huffed. “Before you beat your father, perhaps you should ask your uncle why he’s surprised I’m a hybrid—and why they decided to issue the bounty when they did if they weren’t aware I’m a hybrid.”
“Huh. Never thought I’d be sayin’ this, but you’re huntin’ yourself a smart one, baby girl. It’s easy, son. She done called her ma and told her some bitch tried to run off with you. We figured we needed to put an end to that nonsense, so it’s best you accept it now. It’s too late to run. You’re not leavin’ until our baby girl gets what she wants.”
Psychotic family, check. Beautiful woman worth dealing with the psychotic family, check. Approval of psychotic family, check.
My life had become strange, but I didn’t mind it. Did that make me psychotic, too?
I decided to ignore all of the craziness coming out of her uncle’s mouth. “Ethel, why is he calling you a baby girl?”
“I’m the oldest, so I’m saddled with it. Don’t worry about it. You’ll get used to it.”
“Honestly, I’m more worried about another pack of angry lycanthropes beating me. One’s enough for a while.”
“They’re not going to beat you.”
“Maybe. We’ll see, assuming I survive the evening without being beaten. Now, that said, you owe me. You, however accidentally, caused this mess.”
Ethel sighed. “Damn it. I should’ve known my dumbass mother talked to Dad.”
“Now, now, baby girl. Your ma just cares, and she was right worried to hear someone had hurt your Dale.”
“Already claimed your territory with your family, have you?” I teased, giving a gentle tug of the leash. “I’m not that skittish, Ethel.”
“Like hell you aren’t!”
I laughed, shaking my head over how my drive to maintain professionalism had given Ethel the wrong idea about me. “I just wanted to maintain my professionalism at work. I’ve had my assumptions corrected.”
“Good.”
Ethel’s uncle sighed. “We don’t get to knock sense into Dale?”
“Touch him and I’ll kill you.”
“What do you got to say about that, son?”
I stared at him. “If you beat me, I’ll be useless to Ethel. I think she’s tired of watching me sleep off beatings.”
He cackled. “I expect so. You’ll anger her pappy something fierce if you tug on that leash much. Fair warning.”
“I’m confident Ethel can subdue her father as necessary.”
“She’s handcuffed, son.”
“She has the bag. That’s a weapon.”
“I think you’re overestimating her a little there, son.”
I arched a brow, reached over, and unclipped the leash from Ethel’s collar. “I’ll pay bail, but if I don’t have enough left over, you’re going to have to help with the house payments.”
Ethel wielded my bag like a club and dove for her uncle.
I waited until Ethel’s uncle begged for mercy before clipping the leash to her collar and pulling her back. “You don’t want to kill him.”
“Like hell I don’t!”
“If you kill him, our evening plans will be ruined,” I reminded her. “Bail for assault is cheaper than bail for murder, too.”
“He deserves it.”
The front door opened and a middle-aged man with Ethel’s eyes stepped onto the porch. “What’s going on out here?”
Ethel lunged forward, swinging with my bag. Reeling her in, I wrapped my arm around her waist before standing to my full height, lifting her off the ground. “Will you stop attacking everyone? Geeze, woman.”
“This is the bastard responsible for the bounty.”
“I thought your mother was?”
“They’re both responsible. Put me
down. That bastard needs a beating.”
“No.”
“Put me down.”
“No. If I put you down, I’ll have to pay even more in bail.”
Ethel’s father frowned. “Alan, what’s going on?”
“If you write the lad a big check, you might get some grandpups out of the deal.”
I sighed.
“I only see the girl. The bounty was for that boy with the dratted girl as a bonus payout.”
Ethel growled and snapped her teeth at her father. “Let me kill him.”
Next time, we’d visit my family. They were saner. “No. If you kill him, I don’t get paid.”
“Without the boy, you don’t get paid.”
I displayed my fangs and growled. As I refused to call myself a boy, I replied, “I’m Dale.”
“Oh. You’re the boy. All right, then.” Ethel’s father hesitated, blinking. “Baby girl, you didn’t tell us your boy was so colorful.”
“I told you I’d never seen him as a wolf, Daddy!” she howled.
“That’s your fault for not doing better research on your boy.”
“Daddy! Damn it, because of you, a black duster went for him. For that alone, I should beat you to death.”
“You’re cranky,” I muttered, securing my grip on her and tucking her close to me, hoping she’d limit her viciousness to something I’d survive. “I’m sorry for her, sir. She’s annoyed we’ve been delayed.”
“Delayed from what? Committing a murder?”
After so many years of controlling my expression and tone, I remained as neutral as possible considering the circumstances. “Testing the soundproofing of her room, sir, along with the general durability of your home. She wanted to forgo collecting the bounty, but I have plans for the money, sir.”
“It involves a house large enough for puppies,” Ethel’s uncle announced.
My purple fur would cause me grief for the rest of my life, but my hybrid form granted me the strength required to mule kick Ethel’s uncle off the porch. Ethel twisted around in my grip to stare behind me. “Sir.”
“You punted him right off the porch.” Ethel giggled. “Sorry, Uncle Alan. He’s getting used to asserting himself. I’m sure he only meant to give you a love tap.”
I had?
“He deserved it,” Ethel’s father said. “Come on in, then. I reckon one of you might start with telling me why my baby girl is cuffed and leashed.”
“I begged for it,” the love of my life declared with no sign of embarrassment. “He resisted at first, but I can be convincing.”
I sighed again, wondering how I’d survive my first meeting with Ethel’s parents.
“I think you’re testing your boy’s patience.”
“The entire pack has been. It’s been fun. He mopped the kitchen floor with Allison because she punned him. We’re slowly convincing him to come out of his shell.”
“Slowly?” I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“If it means you’ll stop wearing that damned perfume of yours all the time, go ahead and destroy the house tonight. It took a week for the stink to fade last time you visited. If you’re going to stink up my house, may as well get to do some renovations at the same time.”
Ethel wiggled in my hold. “You can put me down now, Dale.”
I snorted. “If I put you down, you’ll go for the throat of the next person to annoy you.”
Ethel’s father chuckled and turned to enter his home. “He’s right, baby girl. You need to get laid before someone gets hurt.”
As expected, Ethel snarled and struggled to escape my hold, determined to perform a brutal act of patricide.
I decided against telling Ethel her father was right.
Chapter Ten
On the outside, Ethel’s family lived in luxury.
On the inside, I discovered Ethel’s tendency to leave her laundry scattered to the four winds was either a learned behavior or a genetic defect. Did I want to ask why a pair of boxers dangled from the chandelier? At some twenty feet over head, the how was almost as important as the why. In a normal house, the foyer would’ve been a welcoming space.
Ethel’s parents used theirs as a mud room with an emphasis on the mud. My fingers itched to clean—no, detox—the place. The marble should’ve been white instead of brown, and I doubted the walls would ever recover from being splattered with mud left to dry. Jackets hung from a rack and littered the floor, creating an obstacle course I’d have to navigate with care as my claws would leave confetti in my wake.
A growl slipped out before I could stop it.
“Uh oh. The clean freak’s emerging,” Ethel chirped, sounding too happy for my comfort. “Hey, Daddy?”
“I’m not sure I want to ask.”
“I think Dale’s going to use us all as mops if we’re not careful. Please tell me you’re not using the living room as a gun showroom again.”
“Nah. It’s tack day. We’re doing general cleaning and repair of the leather. Already recruited your brothers and sisters to help. Your boy know his way around a horse?”
“Dale?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Pity. I trust you’ll be fixing that, baby girl?”
“Dad, he doesn’t need to wrangle horses.”
“Does. What’s his height and weight when he isn’t sporting a fur coat?”
“Too tall, sexy, and muscular to be a jockey. Forget it. Anyway, we’re going to be too busy to run him to the farm for riding lessons. We have to hunt for the lycanthrope who attacked a security guard and started this mess in the first place. We have no hits on the bounty markets the CDC has access to so far.”
“He? I thought a hybrid bitch tried to take your boy.”
“Damn it. Why couldn’t Ma pass along the whole story right? No. A lycanthrope, a male from what we can tell, attacked a security guard at a mall. I assigned Dale to cover the next day. Dale was attacked the first night he worked the mall. The bitch was wanting to establish a mating bond with the vic and thought it was a good idea to use Dale as leverage against the CDC so she could see him.”
“Dumbass. She just had to ask to see him. The CDC ain’t stupid. They know separating a bitch from the subject of her interest can be a lethal mistake.” Ethel’s father snorted. “The guard survive?”
“He did, but he got a blood transfusion from the bitch who attacked Dale because the CDC determined his infection probability to be over ninety percent.”
“Tough luck for that guy, but that bitch should relax. You should take a page out of her book, baby girl. You even managed to lure him here. Good work.”
“Dad!”
“So, what have you got on the attacker?”
“Not much. Our best lead is someone who works in mall security, wanting to get a lycanthrope to test on shifts, but that’d make it a case of dumbfuck criminal.”
Ethel’s father sighed. “Right. The one who requested Dale after the attack?”
“Not Dale specifically, but a lycanthrope. I sent Dale because he’s the best peacekeeper type we’ve got.”
“What, you a submissive, boy?”
“He’s one of the Baltimore pack’s betas, Dad.”
“Boy’s still got his tongue, let him do his own talking. Damn, you’re just like your ma, doing all the talking for us.”
“But she’s right, sir,” I replied.
“Don’t you go encouraging her, boy!”
I needed to have a long talk with my virus about what it had gotten me into.
“Leave him alone, Dad. Anyway, this is stupid. It’ll be years before Mr. Jones is useful because of his virus. I hate dumbfuck criminals!”
Ethel’s father sighed. “I know you hate willful ignorance, baby girl, but that’s what this is. Same shit, different day. But there’s a bright side. You’ll get your boy safely mated to you as a result. And don’t you go knocking my bright sides like your ma.”
“Your bright side doesn’t find the culprit.”
Shaking his head, E
thel’s father replied, “A cash-strapped lycanthrope with a common virus would do a hit like that for a grand. I can check with my contacts, and you can spread word around at work. The CDC will take steps if any more security personnel are attacked. If there aren’t any more attacks, it’s no longer an issue. Problem solved. Also, I’ll toss in a ten grand bounty on the name of the one who put out the hit for this Mr. Jones. You said he was mall security?”
“Yes. Odds you can catch the lycanthrope?”
“Nil at best unless you got a good blood or fur sample.”
“We don’t. The fucker shaved and cleaned up after himself. We think he was a male because of Mr. Jones’s descriptions.”
I blinked. “He what?”
“Shaved, Dale. He removed his fur to limit DNA samples on the site. After the attack, practitioner magic was used to clean the scene.”
Ethel’s father chuckled. “The CDC ain’t got a hope in hell of figuring out who done did that one. Give it up, baby girl. We’ll have supper in not too long, then you can take your boy on upstairs and have fun with him for a few days.”
“Dad, that would be kidnapping.”
I didn’t agree, but I wasn’t going to get between them, especially as I wanted to be taken up to her room for a couple of days.
“I can afford the fine. You gonna put up a fight, boy?”
Since I couldn’t fight them, I’d join them, and I’d toss the last shreds of my dignity out the nearest window. “I’ve had enough beatings for one week, sir.”
“See? If he’s cooperating, it isn’t kidnapping. And we’re not relocating him. It would be a hostage situation. Hostages don’t have to be kidnapped.”
“We are not going to argue the nuances of kidnapping victims and hostages. If it’s against his will, it’s kidnapping.”
“And it doubles his payout so he can buy the house he wants. Just kidnap him and stop your whining.”
“Dad,” Ethel complained.
“At least go take your boy up to your room and get him into some clothes so you can help finish with the tack before supper. I’ll go have your ma see if she can get a hit on your lycanthrope attack so you don’t stress your pretty self on an investigation you ain’t got a hope in hell of solving. I don’t want your work getting in the way of my future grandpuppies.”