by R. J. Blain
I questioned the stove—and where he’d gotten so prized a Starfall stone.
“He brought a roast?”
“A large one, too. I showed him the potatoes and the carrots you had gotten along with the herbs, and explained again you’d gone out on an errand for me, and it was my fault you had been gone most of the day. Then I had told him I’d gotten a roast with some of the budget since you’d gotten such a good deal on everything else, and that I’d sent you out to choose it—and that you’d gotten a good deal on that, too. It somehow calmed him. I’m not sure why.”
Unknowingly, she’d provided me with an alibi for Marie’s failure to show at the meeting. If I kept playing dumb, maybe the wolf would slip and tell me everything I needed to know before he breathed his last.
“How strange,” I mumbled, crawling out of the space and straightening my clothes. While the feather’s magic would have eradicated my scent, the closet would have restored it enough to prevent suspicion. “He’s been calm?”
By calm, I meant non-violent, and judging from Rachelle’s sigh, she understood my meaning. “So far. He said his evening plans seem to have been cancelled, so he would spend the time here discussing our future tonight.”
With a little luck, he’d slip and reveal a timeframe of what the future would hold so I could figure out how long I needed to keep the bastard alive. Marie’s failure to show for the meeting while her scent was still present might change everything—or nothing at all.
I would find out soon enough.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Why are you sorry? It’s not like you want to be here. None of us do. We do what we must, and that is that. Like you, we would leave if we could.” Rachelle pressed her hand against her stomach. “I want a better wolf for my child.”
I wondered what life would be like for them when Ferdinand died; I hoped the relief from the pain would be enough to let me finally rest. At a loss of what to say, I shrugged and followed her downstairs.
The list of things I needed to do intimidated me, with finding a telegraph station, mystic courier, or telephone taking the top spot. A telephone would work best, as I would be able to notify the Secret Service—and my tiger—of my whereabouts without any delay. While some parts of the city had electric poles, I had no idea if they were wired for telephone service—or if the telephone system connected to Charlotte.
The courier network would be able to help me.
Ferdinand waited in the dining room, and I lowered my gaze, reminding myself I needed to stay silent unless spoken to. Under no circumstances could I growl or roar at the bastard. Depending on his mood, he might add yet another bite to my throat.
“Sit, Jesse. Your part in this will be over soon enough, then you can have a little more freedom. I know you’re having a hard time right now. Rachelle told me you ran a lot of errands for her today across the city. How do you like Knoxville?”
I wanted to be home in Charlotte, but I fought my urge to snap my teeth for forcing me to exchange pleasantries with him. “Knoxville seems nice. The markets are interesting.” They were, too; Charlotte had markets similar to the ones I’d seen in Knoxville, although Charlotte had specialty markets for live animals, where I could’ve gotten live beasts from most of those I’d spotted on my hike across the city today. “I almost got a good deal on a live hen, but I wasn’t sure you’d allow one.”
There. That would aid my cause. Ferdinand thought he knew me. I would’ve wasted at least an hour humming over the live hen, and I spoke the truth; I had wanted to get her to provide eggs for the pack.
“The next time Rachelle sends you to the market, I have no problems with a live hen or two for the pack. How much for a live bird?”
According to the expressions of the women, Christmas had come early for the pack. They held their breath as though afraid their luck would change.
“A young hen would have cost ten, but I could have gotten chicks for much cheaper. We could have gotten five chicks for ten dollars, but there is always a chance of a rooster with a young batch of chicks.” I’d overheard that gem from one of the shoppers who’d gotten a rooster that way. I thought a rooster with a few hens would be an excellent investment for a while to have extra chicks, and then the rooster could have been eaten—or used to keep producing chickens for the pack’s consumption. “I saw goats for sale, too.”
“I like goat cheese,” Lauren announced. “I know how to make it. I know how to make butter, too.”
I admired Lauren’s bravery. Most of the women wouldn’t say a word without Ferdinand’s permission.
“The price of a goat, Jesse? The yard in the back should be big enough for a goat and some chickens.”
“We’d need two, a male and a female; they won’t produce unless they have kids. You’d want to get a male from a different breeder than the female, and a female looked to cost about seventy. The males are cheaper. They need fresh alfalfa, and they need to be kept separate from the chickens if you want the milk. I didn’t listen much more than that.” I’d only listened in long enough to figure out Ferdinand likely wouldn’t consider such a thing.
“The yard’s big enough for both, and you ladies can build the pen for the chickens. I know a farmer or two. I’ll have one look over the back yard and set that up for you. A few goats and some chickens might keep you occupied.” He narrowed his eyes and looked me over. “Cows?”
“I didn’t look at the cows except for the roasts. Where would we put a cow?”
He chuckled. “As practical as ever. Very well. I’ll send you out tomorrow for a box and some chicks, and you can set them up in the backyard. That’s walled to ten feet, so they should stay put. I’ll leave the money with you. How long until dinner, Rachelle?”
“Ten to twenty minutes,” she replied.
“Good. That’s enough time to discuss business before we eat. I need to take Jesse on a trip three weeks from now, and we should be back within a month. As such, we’ll do a pack hunt tomorrow afternoon into the evening after she’s come home with the chicks. We’ll have a feast to properly welcome Jesse into the pack. Oh, you may as well get a hen or two to go with the chicks, so they can be producing right away. It’s been a while since you’ve ladies have had any fresh eggs, as it’s hard to get out every day.”
What was Ferdinand up to? Had Marie’s failure to show done something to the man? Had he figured out I’d been the one behind her disappearance? Had her disappearance somehow pleased him? I could see that; he played games because he could. He could have been testing if I’d gone to the market, knowing I had the skills needed to pull off the mare’s murder without breaking a sweat.
I had, but I wasn’t going to tell anyone that.
Rachelle’s eyes widened. “We can really have chickens?”
“You will be required to butcher the excess chickens for the dinner table, and I’ll find someone to teach you how—or we can hunt them during pack hunts. Whichever you prefer. I verified Jesse’s advice with a midwife, and I have made an appointment for someone to come in a week or two to help with the babies.” Ferdinand raised a brow, turning to me. “You continue to surprise me. I had no idea just how valuable you truly were until I verified your knowledge. I do want my sons and daughters to be strong, of course.”
Liar. “I’m glad I could help.”
“While the yard isn’t large enough for a horse, there’s a stable not far away with a riding ring, and if you continue to do well, I will acquire an animal for you. That will make errands in the city easier for you, and you can play courier when I need messages sent. If you’re particularly well behaved, I’ll send you to neighboring towns and cities in Tennessee and let you stretch your legs. You have a lot to prove to me first, though.”
I raised my brows at his offer. “I’d like a horse.”
“You’re obsessed with horses. I’ve seen what you will do for yours. For now, chickens and goats will have to amuse you. Try not to get too attached to the ones you’ll have to eat.”
“I hadn’t considered raising goats to eat. I’ll ask about how they’re butchered and perhaps call in some favors if it’s not something you ladies can handle on your own.”
I could butcher a goat faster than anyone else in the tribe, and I didn’t damage the hide when I did it. The task wasn’t one of my favorites, but if he wanted the extra goats to make it to the dinner table, I could make sure the women knew how to do the job—and how to butcher any damned men who got in their way at the same time. “I can take care of that. I’ve done it.”
“Have you, now?”
“There wasn’t anyone else around to butcher the extra goats for me, so I did it myself. I’m proficient, and I know how to skin and tan the hides, too.”
“You just one useful little kitten, aren’t you? Good. When you’re looking for chickens tomorrow, see if you spot any promising goats. If so, purchase them, and I’ll find a place to board them until we’re ready for them to live in the backyard.”
I nodded.
Ferdinand pulled out his wallet and handed me a stack of bills, and some included hundreds. “Use this to buy everything tomorrow, and you may as well do some grocery shopping while you’re at it, as you seem to know your business. Be back no later than one in the afternoon so we can go on our pack hunt. After the hunt, I will be very busy until it’s time for my trip, although I will check in daily.”
I read between the lines: he meant to maintain his bite despite his preparations for their scheme. Careful to open the pouch only enough to slip the money inside, I stuffed the bills in with my Starfall stones. “I will.”
The limited freedom would give me some time to prepare for Ferdinand’s death. It took several deep breaths to force myself to relax, but I managed.
Something chimed in the kitchen, and Rachelle, Lauren, and one of the other women left the dinner table, signaling dinner would soon be ready. I hope Ferdinand enjoyed his dinner.
It would be his last.
The next morning, I endured two more of Ferdinand’s bites, and it hurt so much I almost ripped his head off in the entry of his house. Only the suffocating waves of pain kept me from growling. I needed several minutes to recover enough to get on with my day and fulfill my promise to set the women up with livestock. I went to one of the other markets they’d told me about, browsing through the selection of birds and goats until I found some promising candidates. To my delight, the vendor was willing to deliver to the pack’s house, as he delivered bottles of milk in the afternoons and evenings for people on that side of the city. When I told him where the pack lived, he nodded. “I have a customer on that street.”
As he had to deliver milk there anyway, I bought several bottles for them to enjoy along with an entire flock of chicks, all mystic-confirmed to be hens, their mother, and three other hens that got along well together. Then I went to a different vendor, bought a rooster, and dragged the cage over for delivery.
He laughed. “Smart woman. Anything else you need delivered tonight? I figure I can make some space.”
I checked his mystic-cooled box of meats and pointed at a variety of nice roasts and three birds ready to go into the oven, bought three of his assorted boxes of vegetables, and a variety of herbs all to be delivered.
That would make certain they had plenty to eat until the pack women adapted to Ferdinand being gone. After paying, I went on the hunt for some goats, picking two adult white females and a black and white male from three different breeders scattered across the market. They didn’t like me much, but a single warning growl convinced them they should listen.
Damned goats. I’d never gotten along with damned goats. They liked pushing my buttons.
Herding the animals cost me an extra hour on the way back to the house, but I made it for the deadline, and their damned complaints would drive me insane by the end of the day.
Ferdinand waited for me, and his brows raised at my three acquisitions. “Well, in good news, the backyard is available for their use temporarily, and I had someone bring supplies for a week for them already along with a watering barrel. Take them around back, set them loose, and get ready to go. You’ll get a chance to stretch your legs as a tiger, which might soothe your temper some. You look ready to eat one of your new pets.”
“Goats,” I spat, allowing my disgust to leak out. Taking the animals around the house, I found the gate, and Rachelle opened it for me from the other side. I gave her the lead lines and made sure the little bastards stayed in the yard where they belonged. I returned to the front of the house after the woman secured the gate closed. “They looked healthy enough, but they’re not prime stock. They should make good enough milk, but you won’t want to breed them for show.”
“I’m sure they’ll taste just fine when the ladies get tired of taking care of the goats. I’m sure the ladies won’t take long settling the animals. They’re not the type to care too much about things like that. Did you get any chickens?”
“They will be delivered tonight along with some fresh milk, vegetables, and herbs. I got some hens, a rooster, and a flock of chicks.”
“That will keep them busy.”
I expected chaos.
With more patience than I expected from him, he waited for the pack women to get ready. I spent an hour listening to Ferdinand ramble about the history of the townhouse and its yard, which he’d gotten through some arrangement with another wolf pack. I assumed he’d coerced or killed the other pack off, leaving the property for him to claim.
Wolves didn’t play fair.
Making the pregnant women walk alone sparked all the fury I needed to get through the rest of my afternoon, and I followed along like I was supposed to, taking care to keep from staring at Ferdinand’s back. If he detected my hostility too early, I’d be in for a rough fight.
I’d lost a lot of weight skimping on my meals and making sure the pregnant women got as much as I could manage. It hadn’t been enough. Rachelle still seemed gaunt, as did the other women. The exercise wouldn’t do them any good unless the pack hunted after I finished sending Ferdinand to his grave. I’d find out soon enough.
Quick and brutal would work best for me, and then I’d wait for the ramifications of my actions to hit hard. I figured it could go one of two ways: the women would shift and tear me apart, or they’d be too deep into shock to do anything about me, after which they might still tear me apart.
I supposed they might celebrate without tearing me apart, but I’d learned to expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised when something good happened. If I took advantage of their shock, I could make a run for it, but I couldn’t bring myself to abandon them.
They’d been stepped on too much. I would face my fate with pride and dignity—and if they didn’t kill me in the aftermath, I’d do my best to help them if I could.
I’d seen the relief in their eyes when they realized they’d have better and more food on their table, and that relief hadn’t been for themselves. Life would become complicated, but I would find some way to make everything work out.
I always found a way to make life complicated, and I’d done well enough surviving. Once Ferdinand was dead, once I didn’t hurt so damned much, I could work with the women and do something good for a change.
Ferdinand led us outside of the city to a thick forest, lush and ripe with prey. A herd of deer scattered from where city and wilderness clashed, promising the wolves would have a fresh trail to track with good meat at the end of their efforts.
“Here’s good,” Ferdinand announced. “Go ahead and shift, ladies. I expect it’ll take Jesse longer, as she’s a late-age shifter, and she’s never had an easy time with her transformations.”
Fury over his criticism gave me all the encouragement I needed to force my hand to change into a paw armed with lethal claws. Warmth radiated from my pouch, and blue sparks danced over my charcoal fur.
Ferdinand turned, and I closed t
he distance between us. In three strides, I reached him, and by the time he’d turned to face me, I stood in striking range. Black smoke coiled from my pitch-black stripes and engulfed my paw. The sharp tips tore into the wolf’s throat, and I put all my strength into my one blow to make it count.
The bastard’s eyelids fluttered and blood gushed from the jagged wounds, where I’d exposed pale bone. He crumpled, and his throat bubbled as his body struggled to draw another breath. In death, bodies twitched, even ones with severed spines, as muscles spasmed and the body became nothing more than organic matter destined to rot.
I stared down into his unseeing eyes, and I smiled.
Chapter Thirteen
The women didn’t kill me, for which I was grateful. I would have made easy prey for them, as Ferdinand’s death created a flare of pain so intense I forgot how to breathe. While I swayed, I somehow remained on my feet. Then, like a receding tide, the agony faded to something manageable, a burn that afflicted my entire body.
That, too, ebbed after a while. I still hurt, but I could tolerate the discomfort.
I waited, and the women stared at me in shock, Ferdinand’s blood still dripping from my claws and seeping into my clothes. The bite marks Ferdinand had inflicted on my throat throbbed to the beat of my heart. Without the wolf’s desire to claim me driving his magic, I held hope the wounds would finally begin to heal. It would take time, but I would make certain they didn’t scar. Somehow, I would circumvent nature and erase all evidence he’d ever touched me with his teeth.
By the time I was finished, no matter how many mystics I had to hire, there would be no evidence left of the bastard’s attempt to steal me from my tiger. Not only would I erase evidence of Ferdinand’s bites, I would eradicate him from history.
I almost regretted I’d refused to accept a proper contract for the bastard’s death. Had I, I would’ve demanded bonuses from my aunt for putting up with the wolf’s stupidity. Then I would’ve demanded extra bonuses for any and all anguish Anatoly had faced during my cooperative incarceration with the wolf pack.