Tales of the Winter Wolf, Vol. 2
Page 11
While Nicolina is relieved to have survived her first quarter at Stanford, there are still a few surprises left in store for her, leaving her with a lot more questions than answers… and an extra mouth to feed.
Crash and Burn
Richard’s worst fears come to pass when Nicolina’s plane crashes, leaving him to control her parents or witness two of North America’s most dangerous Fenerec rampage through a crowded airport.
Wild Wolf
In Richard’s desperation to dominate Desmond and his mate, he has done far more harm to himself than anyone ever suspected. With his human half in trouble and fading fast, it falls to his wolf to find a way to save them both. To make matters worse, it’s Christmas Eve, and Richard’s past once again comes back to haunt him.
Volume Three
The Silvered Wolf
With Richard recovering, there’s some hope of salvaging their normal Christmas rituals, but her father’s plan sweeps Nicolina up into her worst nightmare—one where she’s a bartering chip held by none other than the Silvered Wolf.
The Games Wolves Play
Richard and his wolf are delighted to have Nicolina for their own for at least several days, but when his parents show up, their fun and games take a lethal turn.
Volume Four
Tangles
Between her father’s plans to subject her to a trip to Yellowknife and the matted ruins of her hair, Nicolina’s life has become a tangled mess. When help comes from an unexpected source, she’s forced to look at herself and her worst enemy in a different light.
Witch
When an Inquisition witch shows up to take Richard into custody, Nicolina once again proves he has a lot to learn about Desmond’s daughter.
Striking a Deal
Dealing with the devil has its risks, but when Nicolina strikes a bargain with Richard Murphy, she fears she has bitten off more than she can chew.
In Hot Water
What should have been a relaxing side trip to the mountain springs lands Richard in hot water.
Breaking Point
Everyone has a breaking point, and Nicolina Desmond is no different. When her father crosses the line one too many times, an impulsive decision results in her teaming up with Richard Murphy for some good old-fashioned payback. The only problem? Their opponents are three of North America’s most dangerous wolves and the entirety of Richard’s pack.
Volume Five
The Power of a Word
Despite all of her efforts and carefully cultivated hatred for Richard Murphy, Nicolina Desmond craves his company—and more. Determined to choose her own fate, she puts Richard to the test, and discovers what sort of man he is.
Bonds
Richard prepares himself for a lifetime of hunting Nicolina so he might claim her as his mate. However, Desmond’s daughter has plans of her own, and he has once again become her prey.
The Value of a Life
With the full moon on the rise, Nicolina has more than thralled wolves to worry about. Fearing what her father will do if he ever learns she has staked her claim on Yellowknife’s Alpha, she hides her love and affection for Richard in the only way she knows how. To mask their mingling scents, she unleashes a cologne apocalypse in his bedroom.
With her new mate hunting with his wolves, she takes the opportunity to get to know his brother. But when a jealous wolf bent on destroying what Richard holds dear comes calling, Nicolina must decide for herself the true value of a life—and whether or not she is willing to kill to protect those her mate loves.
Shattered
Richard’s worst nightmare has come true. No longer able to feel his brother in the pack bonds and fearing for his mate’s life, he relinquishes control of Yellowknife’s pack to Desmond, hoping he’s not too late to save what little of his family he has left.
In order to save his brother, Nicolina has killed once again. This time, however, she has shattered under the strain of taking another’s life. Should Richard make a single mistake, he may be left as the lone survivor—or fall victim to her silver bullets.
Titles by RJ Blain
Witch & Wolf (Urban Fantasy)
Inquisitor
Winter Wolf
Blood Diamond
Other titles from the Witch & Wolf World (UF)
Tales of the Winter Wolf
Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Omnibus - Volumes One-Five
Beneath a Blood Moon (UF, Standalone, Nov 2015)
Requiem for the Rift King (Epic Fantasy)
Storm Without End
Storm Surge
The Fall of Erelith (Fantasy)
The Eye of God
Dedication
To Susan and Alysha,
Thank you so much for all of your help. Without you, these stories never would have found their way out into the world. Writing stories of any length is hard, but because of you two, you not only helped me make the stories better, but you made the entire process fun from start to finish.
~RJ
Winter Wolf
Witch & Wolf, Book 2
When Nicole dabbled in the occult, she lost it all: Her voice, her family, and her name. Now on the run from the Inquisition, she must prove to herself—and the world—that not all wizards are too dangerous to let live.
The savage murder of a bookstore employee throws Nicole into the middle of Inquisition business, like it or not. Driven by her inability to save the young man’s life, she decides to hunt the killer on her own. Using forbidden magic to investigate the past, she learns that the murderer is in fact a disease that could kill the entire werewolf race.
Forced to choose between saving lives and preserving her own, Nicole embraces the magic that sent her into exile. Without werewolves, the power of the Inquisition would dwindle, and she could live without being hunted.
Nicole’s only hope for success lies in the hands of the werewolves she hates and the Inquisition she fears, but finding someone to trust is only the beginning of her problems. There are those who want to ensure that the werewolves go extinct and that the Inquisition falls.
But, if she fails to find a cure, her family—including her twin sister—will perish…
Chapter One
I slammed my car’s door, spun on a heel, and swore I would have a perfectly normal visit to the mall. All I needed was one little book. Even I could walk into a bookstore, pick up a novel, and leave without causing any trouble.
This time I wouldn’t blow out the lights. There wouldn’t be a single power surge. I wouldn’t turn on every unplugged device in the electronics store on my way across the mall. In the ten minutes it would take me to get in and out, the only thing anyone would notice about me was the fact that I wore a high-collared sweater in late summer. I had a mission, and I would complete it without fail. The novel my agent insisted I read would be mine.
For a long moment, I considered turning around and getting back into my car. Dominic would forgive me if I didn’t start reading the book until tomorrow. I could call in a favor and ask someone to pick up a copy for me. Then I definitely wouldn’t run any risk of blowing anything up. If I had been smart, I would’ve just ordered the damned thing on the internet, but I had waited too long.
Fishing my cell out of my pocket, I unlocked the screen with a swipe of my finger. The charging icon mocked me. Despite running every battery-draining app I could find, the battery held a full charge. I opened another app, a devilish program capable of killing the battery in ten minutes. It wouldn’t, not with me around, but if I was too busy keeping my phone topped up, maybe my mall shopping trip would prove to be mundane.
I shook my head, laughing at my foolishness.
No one would notice my phone. No one would notice me for more than a second. They’d notice my clothes, and then they’d file me away as yet another weirdo wearing something strange to catch attention. L.A. was full of people like that.
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I had no reason to worry. Even if I managed to embarrass myself yet again by losing control of my powers, no one would know I was the cause of unplugged electronics turning on or unusual power surges.
Straightening my shoulders, I fixed my eyes on the line of glass doors and marched my way across the parking lot.
In and out. No blown lights. No power surges. No feeding power to unplugged electrical devices. No charging batteries for strangers. I was in control, and I would charge only my phone.
Making my way to the entry, I paused long enough to hold the door for a little old lady who insisted on making her way through the regular doors despite her walker. I couldn’t blame her. If I lived to be her age, I wouldn’t want to rely on automatic doors either.
She thanked me with a pat on the arm. Flashing her my best smile, I slipped inside.
Nothing happened.
Perfect.
I could handle ten minutes in the crowded corridors. Maybe if I told myself that enough times, I’d believe it.
I stuck to the center of the hallway, dodging kiosks as I worked my way to the bookstore. Despite being so near to closing time, the place was busy, leaving me to navigate a sea of bodies. I considered stopping at one of the jewelry kiosks. There was something appealing about the humble, cheaper baubles, but I didn’t quite dare.
In and out. No stops, not even to admire the gemstones twinkling under the display lamps. This time, I wasn’t going to break anything, not even a single light.
When I reached the bookstore, I paused at one of the display tables, staring down at the cover of some thriller novel. Picking it up, I pretended to read the back. I focused my attention on the hum of electricity around me. First, I heard—and felt—the lights overhead. Power radiated from them, their glow bleeding energy and heat. Then I felt my cell phone, siphoning energy from me like some inanimate, modern-day vampire. Its little battery hungered, desiring everything I could give it and more. It wanted to be charged.
One by one, I became aware of all of the little devices around me. Almost everyone in the store had a phone. Dormant devices, from reading lights to mobile chargers, littered the tables. One woman browsing books nearby had four battery-powered devices in her purse. One was a phone, and like mine, it hungered. Its need was strong; its battery waned to the point of failure.
If I wanted, I could charge it for her.
No one would notice if I did. Maybe the woman would wonder how her phone hadn’t died before she got home. It only had a few minutes left. It’d take me all of ten seconds to fix it for her. If I did, I wouldn’t be so aware of it. But to do so, I’d have to touch her—or her phone. Some things I could manipulate without having a direct conduit, but cell phone batteries were tricky, greedy things.
I cringed a little, setting the thriller book down. I picked up the next nearest title. I flipped it over, not reading the text on the back. Did I dare? Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the woman browsing through the books. All it would take was a few seconds. I could charge it without her noticing.
That was one thing I was actually good at.
I put the novel I held down and wandered to the same table, careful not to look at her. Book by book, I investigated the titles, circling to where she stood. With luck, she wouldn’t even notice me; if she did, I’d just have to pretend I was a people-person, acting the role and hiding the real me beneath the thin veneer of a lie.
“You’re Nicole Thomas, aren’t you? The actress. You’re her.” My quarry appraised me with a pleased expression.
People normally recognized the mainliners, people with beautiful faces and voices to match, people who didn’t avoid crowds.
In short, people other than me.
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