by RJ Blain
Holding out my left hand, I closed my eyes and imagined a ball of flame hovering over my palm. Creating fire from nothing was a witch’s trick, too, but I wasn’t dangerous because I could use fire or play with electricity. I was dangerous because I could do both.
When I heard my audience gasp, I opened my eyes. The flame was smaller than I liked, but was pure blue without even a hint of smoke. Small, but perfect. I tossed it in the air and let it float.
“That’s impossible,” Richard announced, pointing at his phone, then up at the small flame. “That’s absolutely impossible. Electricity isn’t a witch’s element. How are you using fire? You’re not a witch; you don’t smell like one.”
“What do I smell like, then?” I huffed at him, extinguishing the flame before my temper made it flare.
“You smell like a young human female,” Alex said. “Human. You smell like a human. Though I think I sense something else, but I’m not sure what. Your thoughts, Richard?”
Richard leaned forward, his nostrils flaring. “There’s something there. Rotten eggs? No, sulfur. Like Yellowstone. Also, there’s something reminding me of a thunderstorm. There’s one other thing, I think. Hmm. Ah ha, snow! You smell like snow. But it’s fading now. What are you?”
I took a deep breath, but all I could smell was cinnamon. “I’m a monster,” I said, careful to keep my tone neutral.
It was Richard who stood, circling around me with an unnerving intensity. He was hunting me, waiting for me to make a run for it.
I stayed still, trying to pretend I didn’t notice how he was stalking me. He stepped close and drew a deep breath.
“You don’t smell like a monster,” he whispered.
Alex gestured to me to catch my attention before putting his fingers to his lips. Unable to tell if it was safe for me to move, I wondered if I smelled as frightened as I felt. There was a wolf-gold gleam in Richard’s brown eyes.
Alex stepped forward and clapped his brother on the shoulder before ducking away, faster than any human should’ve been able to move. Richard whirled, an arm whipping out. With lithe grace, Alex hopped out of his brother’s reach. “You’re going to scare her, Richard.”
Breathing as if he’d run a race, Richard came to a halt. He lowered his head, but I could still feel his gaze on me. While all I wanted to do was run, I held my ground.
“Forgive him, Nicole. He’s an idiot. It seems he took your self-deprecating commentary as a challenge for who the biggest monster on the block is. Unlike you, he should know better.”
Shuddering at the thought of challenging an Alpha Fenerec, I shook my head. “I’m not that insane.”
“No, and he’s stupid for thinking you are,” Alex replied, glaring at his brother. “It’s not a dominance contest, Richard.”
It took several tense minutes, but Richard relaxed, nodding at his brother. He didn’t apologize to either one of us, but all things considered, I was more worried about him losing control. What would happen if an Alpha Fenerec went on a rampage in Las Vegas?
Nothing good, though I doubted I’d live for long if he decided to run wild. With my knowledge of Fenerec so lacking, I had no idea what Richard would view as a challenge. If I wanted to work with him, I needed to learn—and fast.
So I stared him in the eyes, considering him and how his brother behaved. At the table, Alex had tilted his head to the side and exposed his throat, staring at the table. I wasn’t sure if it was due to cowardice or stubborn pride, but I couldn’t force myself to bow my head to him. It was difficult enough to mimic Alex’s behavior and show him my neck, which in turn gave him a good view of my scars.
While I had expected Richard to react in some fashion, I hadn’t expected him to lunge at me and bite me, his teeth pinching my skin. I don’t think he drew blood, but it hurt all the same. A startled squeal burst out of me and it took every bit of willpower I had to keep from running. I wanted to club him over the head with my arm, but without knowing how he’d react, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. His hands engulfed my shoulders, and his hot breath tickled my throat.
“Nicole, don’t move,” Alex warned, but the worry in his whispered voice scared me more than Richard’s aggression. “Try to keep quiet. No sudden moves. If you must say something, use a soft voice. Startling him right now would not be a good thing.”
My instincts told me pull away, run and hide, and find somewhere safe.
“Richard.” Alex didn’t move, but he did sigh, one hand rubbing at his brow. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
When Richard didn’t answer, nor did he take his teeth off of my neck, I stared at Alex and squeaked, “Alex?” It was more of a strangled croak, but I didn’t think the Fenerec noticed.
“Richard, you’re scaring her,” Alex said, his voice soft and soothing.
I considered my options. Richard wasn’t listening to his brother, and while he had his teeth on my throat, he wasn’t hurting me anymore. The pressure he put on me with his teeth was feather light. If he wanted to hurt me, he would have—I hoped. Emboldened by the thought, and that I wasn’t going to let a Fenerec treat me like a chew toy, I lifted my left hand and placed my palm on his forehead.
I pushed, gentle at first, then more demanding. “Richard Murphy, if you don’t let go of me right this instant, I’m going to get my gun and learn how to use it on you.”
My threats definitely needed work. Alex made a noise, and I couldn’t tell if he was horrified by my audacity or trying not to choke on his laughter. Richard let go, his hands dropping from my shoulders. He leaned into my hand and I had to brace myself so he wouldn’t knock me over.
“Are you a child?” Maybe I was going too far, but I gave him another shove. “Stand up straight.”
“I can’t believe you did that,” Alex muttered, shaking his head. “I can’t believe he listened to you.”
“A girl with a gun is a terrifying thing, you know. The whole woman scorned bit. I have enough scars, thank you very much. I don’t need another one from you gnawing on me.” I glared at Richard, and in a deliberate test of my luck, I pinched his neck.
“Are you insane?” Alex hissed at me. “Don’t challenge him on purpose.”
Richard growled, making noise for the first time since biting me. Bowing his head with his cheek twitching, he drew fast and heavy breaths.
Despite my father being a Fenerec, despite my mother and sister also choosing to number among them, I didn’t understand them. I still struggled to believe that my mother was a Fenerec; she’d always been gentle and kind to me, though I remembered she never, ever argued with my father. The hardest lesson for me to learn was that my mother had been and always would be my father’s ally—not mine.
Careful to move with slow, deliberate care, I took a step back from Richard, put my hands on his shoulders, and pushed him to the couch. “Sit until you can behave yourself.”
Alex spluttered, but Richard sank down onto the cushion, slumping forward to put his face in his hands. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“Someone please explain to me what just happened?” Still mindful of Alex’s warning to avoid sudden movements, I backed away until the back of my legs bumped against one of the arm chairs. I sat down, clasping my hands together to stop them from shaking.
“It is commonplace for Fenerec to show submission to someone by exposing their throat. Your body language told him that he had control over you.” Alex circled around the couch to stand behind my chair. To my horror, he was holding a gun. It wasn’t the one I had stolen from my kidnappers. The weapon was larger, with a far longer barrel. Alex offered it to me. “You could have lost your head there, Nicole.”
“He didn’t hurt me.” I tried to ignore the gun, but Alex pressed it into my left hand and forced me to take it. “I don’t want this.”
“If he kills you, do you really think that Mr. Desmond would let any of us walk away alive? If it comes down to you or him, while I love my brother, pack comes first.” While his words were harsh, Alex’s
expression was anguished.
Richard had startled me, but I didn’t believe he meant to hurt me. I flushed at the memory of his breath on my skin. While I didn’t remember all that much about my father’s behavior as a Fenerec, I was certain Richard hadn’t meant me harm.
Fenerec didn’t play with their prey. If he had wanted me dead, he would’ve killed me.
“I don’t need this.” Still moving with deliberate care, I set the weapon down. “Take it away. I don’t know how to shoot it anyway.”
Alex stared at me for a long moment, but picked up the gun and set it down on the table. “You don’t know how to shoot a gun? It looked like you had before.”
“Never fired one in my life,” I admitted. A laugh bubbled out of me. “I figured if I looked like I knew what I was doing, no one would be stupid enough to test their luck. What’s wrong with him?”
“There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s a dominant Fenerec, you’re a female, and you’re not very good at acting like a submissive.” Alex patted my shoulder. “You’re fine, just don’t challenge him again.”
“I wasn’t challenging him in the first place.”
Richard made a sound, and I couldn’t tell if he was growling or laughing. He hadn’t left his bowed position on the couch and his shoulders shook.
“It’s easy to forget you aren’t a Fenerec,” Alex admitted. “When… when we become Fenerec, it’s something we learn fast. An instinct, really. We fight among each other to show who is more dominant. The dominants are responsible for safeguarding the pack. Alphas always have to prove they’re on top. There’s a pecking order. We live and die by it. Exposing your throat means you acknowledge the other is more dominant. But you didn’t lower your eyes, so if I couldn’t tell if you were acknowledging him or challenging him, then he probably couldn’t either.”
“Alex,” Richard said, in half a growl, half a laugh.
“So what did that bite mean?”
As if afraid of answering me, Alex stared at his brother, his muscles tensing. Richard waved his hand.
Alex let out a breath. A relieved one, I decided. After several moments of gathering his composure, Alex said, “That sort of bite means he accepted responsibility for protecting you as an Alpha. In the future, please don’t stare a Fenerec in the eyes unless you’re challenging him. Richard has better control than most.”
“What else constitutes as a challenge?” I made certain not to stare at Richard, if eye contact was interpreted as a challenge. “Is it okay for me to look you in the eyes, Alex?”
“Do you mean to challenge me?” While Alex’s voice was soft, I shivered at the threat in his tone.
“No.”
“I can control myself, if you forget.”
My initial belief regarding Fenerec was proving to be correct. They were scary—even the ones who didn’t want to kill me.
“I thought we weren’t trying to scare her, Alex,” Richard said, lifting his head. Streaks of gold, more vibrant than before, lightened his brown eyes.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it,” I muttered.
I don’t know why it did, but my truthful comment captured their attention. I struggled not to meet their gazes. I don’t know why the act of looking away from them was so difficult. I focused on the piano in the corner.
When I had wanted to sing, my father insisted that I learn the piano—something more traditional and acceptable. I had done so out of obedience. I had tried to forget when I had abandoned my name. I rose and crossed the room, and I was aware of the Fenerec staring at me.
I pushed the bench away from the piano with my foot. Like the rest of the hotel it was elegant, despite being the least ornate thing in the entire room. Somehow, the classic black leather managed to work with the antique decor. I lifted the cover from the keys. It would hurt when I played, pulling at the gashes crisscrossing my right hand, but I welcomed the thought of the pain.
It would distract me from the two men watching me.
I decided the focus of the two Fenerec didn’t matter. I stroked my fingers over the keys, hoping my fingers would remember a melody. I played since I couldn’t sing anymore.
Chapter Fourteen
I stopped playing when the first drop of blood welled from one of the gashes on my hand and my fingers had gone numb. It wasn’t the same as singing. The years hadn’t erased the memory of piano music from my fingers, but I yearned to use my voice. Did it show in the songs I played? My music didn’t sound as terrible as I feared it would, as out of practice as I was.
I stretched my aching, sore hands. At least I hadn’t bled on the piano. It was a beautiful old thing, and someone kept it tuned. I didn’t want to taint it with my blood.
Richard and Alex stared at me, and the brown in their eyes had lightened to a vibrant amber.
Unable to bring myself to say anything and glad I didn’t have to meet their gazes, I circled the couch and picked up one of the bandages Fredrick had left behind. I dabbed at the bleeding cut before taping the pad into place.
“Do you want stitches?” Richard asked, his voice a little hoarse and rumbling.
“It’s not bad.” It wasn’t; despite not being sure how long I had played for, only one of the cuts had reopened. “It really isn’t.”
“I’ve heard a lot of things about you, Nicole Thomas, but not a single person has ever mentioned you and music together in the same sentence.” Richard rose from his place on the couch, joining me at the table. He took hold of my right hand, inspecting the bandaged wounds. “But then again, no one ever said you were the type of woman who would punch her fist through a car window, either.”
I pulled my hand free and turned my back to him, tightening the bathrobe around me before announcing, “I need my clothes.”
As I passed him on my way to the bathroom, Alex checked his watch. “It shouldn’t be much longer until your witch arrives, Richard?”
I came to a halt, twisting to stare at the piano. How long had I been playing for? I turned to face Alex, but didn’t have the courage to ask. I narrowed my eyes and stared at his brother. Richard wasn’t wearing a watch, but he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. “Forty minutes, give or take a few. Depends on if she hits traffic and if she decides to test her luck in the desert. Knowing her, she might.”
Had they really been listening in silence for that long or had I been so lost in playing the piano that I hadn’t heard them? “What does that have to do with anything?”
Richard leaned against the table, arms crossed over his chest. The corners of his mouth twitched. “Never mind. She just likes to drive fast sometimes and take unnecessary risks. I asked her to bring some of your clothes. I figured if she was robbing your apartment anyway, you’d be more comfortable in your own things.”
I grumbled nasty things to myself, annoyed I hadn’t thought of asking to have my clothing retrieved along with my forbidden collection of focus stone, trinkets, and the book. Someone knocked on the door. Whirling around, I tripped over the bathrobe and fell backwards.
Richard knocked over a chair in his haste to catch me, grabbing me under my arms before I could crack my head open on something. “Easy, Nicole. No need to jump. Alex, see who it is.”
To my shock, Alex picked up the gun. It made a faint ca-chink as he pulled back on the top of the gun and held it pointed at an angle at the floor. He walked in a crouch, lower than the peep hole in the double doors, peering through before straightening. “Witch,” he announced, relaxing and fiddling with the gun before opening the door. “In quick.”
Richard pulled me upright and pulled the bathrobe up onto my shoulders. “You either need coffee or a nap.”
Heat washed over my face and neck. “Shut up,” I snapped, wiggling to straighten my robe. I pointed a finger gun and mocked shooting Richard with it. Dramatically clutching his chest, he slumped onto the armchair, letting his arms and legs dangle limply. Blowing pretend smoke from my finger, I turned to face Alex and the witch.
&n
bsp; “You!” we spoke at the same time, pointing at each other. A pair of suitcases thumped to the floor.
Laura didn’t look pleased to see me and I took a step back. She flicked her fingers at me. Something hot pierced my chest. My throat tightened and it felt like someone had stuffed cotton in my lungs. My breath wheezed out of me.
~Stop her!~ the book squealed in my head, and with its two words spoken in my voice, strength poured into me.
Where I had struggled to summon flame and charge Richard’s phone before, with the book so close to me, sparks danced over my skin and lifted my hair. I stretched out my left hand, gasping for breath.
“Enough!” Richard boomed, and his voice was thunder next to my lightning. His arm snaked around my waist, and he lifted me off of my feet, capturing my left hand in his, pulling me back against him. “That’s quite enough, ladies!”
All I had to do was snap my fingers or speak a word and I’d eliminate her, one way or another.
The witch stepped back a pace, her eyes widening. When she lowered her hand, the burning in my chest faded. I struggled in Richard’s grip, but he pulled me against him. “I’ll kill her,” I snarled, sparks crackling around me. Several blue blossoms of smokeless fire ignited and danced around me.
“You don’t want to kill her,” Richard cooed in a soothing voice. “You’re tired and grumpy, and what you really want is to change into your nice clean clothes. You’re probably hungry and too proud to admit it, and what you really need is some sleep.”
I kicked my heels at Richard’s knees but didn’t manage to land any solid blows. “She was there!” All of the anger and frustration of the past few days boiled over, and my vision blurred. “She was there. She didn’t do anything. If she’s one of them, why didn’t she do anything?”
“What’s wrong, Firecracker? What are you talking about?” Richard turned around, sweeping me along with him, and dumped me on the armchair. “Please don’t burn down the hotel. I don’t know what happened between you ladies, but please put aside your differences for now.”