Wild Wolf Read online

  “Not a chance.” Amber grabbed one of the bowls. “Thanks, Declan. Go take your bath before Nicolina gets ideas. Just step over her when you’re getting your clothes. She’s being slow today. Richard? You might want to nudge her along. I’m off duty for at least two or three weeks.”

  Richard came into the kitchen long enough to kiss Amber’s cheek before heading to my bedroom. “You got it. If you’re hungry, eat it all. Us big, bad wolves can cope with being hungry for a few hours.”

  Amber did save some for everyone else, but only after she polished off half the pot of rice and went from coherent to unconscious on her feet. Richard, who’d spent most of his morning hovering, caught her with an arm and pulled her against him. “Welcome to how the rest of today will surely go.”

  I continued rummaging through my cupboards in search of stray food I might have missed cleaning the place out, locating a single bag of rice I’d hidden behind a pot. “I could make this for the road.”

  After easing Amber onto my rocking chair and tucking her in with my blanket, Richard joined me, and he laughed. “It’s fine. She’ll be out for at least a few hours, she’ll wake up throwing up, and we’ll find something to feed to her. Hopefully, the Chinese will have come to our rescue with food for her by then. They have some pretty good remedies to help smooth things along, too.”

  “Wait, what? What do you mean she’ll be out for a few hours? She barely lasted an hour during the night.”

  “I’ll be helping her with that. I’ll nip her whenever it looks like she’s starting to wake up, and that’ll knock her back out again for a while. Or Desmond will, depending on which one of us is keeping an eye on her. Sanders might. You need a lot of training to learn how to do it, so you won’t be putting your teeth anywhere near her throat. The last thing we need is you nipping her awake. She might end up with a severe case of frisky because you don’t know the difference between a love bite and helping her stay asleep.”

  I stared at him. “Pardon?”

  The Anderson twins burst into laughter, and Dante got up, came over, and slapped my shoulder. “Fenerec talk with their teeth. Mates are especially good at it, but Alphas can force other members of their pack, when they’re really working at it, to pass out from a nip. It’s easier to do on mates, and generally, most people believe only mates can pull that trick on each other. Richard disproved the theory after being overwhelmed with curiosity, so he nipped his brother’s mate and knocked her out. Now it’s his favorite trick. He’ll come up behind people and nip them hard enough to make them pass out. He will then drag his victim off and move them somewhere, often pulling some form of prank in the process. He got me once, and he had my mate dress me in one of her bikinis and left me at the pool. He even stuffed the bikini, waited for me to wake up, and told me I made a beautiful woman.”

  “Richard, I will pay in recipes to watch this.”

  “I’ll pay you in recipes to join in,” the Alpha countered.

  My wolf loved the idea. “How are we keeping score?”

  “When we get back to the States, we’ll go through the pack and select someone for our teams. As I’m more experienced, you’ll pick first. By default, I’ll get Nicolina, and you’ll get Amber. I will be the leader of Team Richard, and you will be the leader of Team Declan.”

  I pointed at Desmond. “I pick him, because watching him and Nicolina fight is fascinating.”

  Desmond huffed, and he headed for the bedroom. A moment later, Nicolina shrieked, and she hopped out of my bedroom. Like Amber, she’d stolen one of my shirts and wore nothing else. Red teeth marks on her calf indicated her father had taken a nip on his way in. “What the hell was that for, Father?”

  “We’re making teams. Declan just picked Desmond for his team. You’re on mine, and I told him he’s taking Amber. We need to pick another team member. I’m pretty sure he bit you to rile you up.”

  Nicolina pointed at Sanders. “Make sure Declan gets Sara, and we need to take Mom. What are the teams for?”

  “The nip wars.”

  “Does Declan even know how to nip?”

  “That’s why we’re doing it. He has to learn, and turning it into a game is a good way to teach him, and the only experiences he’s had with Fenerec have been less than stellar. And I put Amber with him to mitigate accidental nips of the wrong type.”

  “She’s going to be pissed at you,” Nicolina predicted.

  “She’ll love me, because she’ll get to work with Declan to get revenge on me for the dastardly and cruel things I will be doing to her all day today, most of which involves enforcing her general unconsciousness with a ruthless paw. You know how much she hates being helpless. The next time she wakes up, she’ll be surrounded by Russians and possibly a few Chinese delegates without any clue what’s going on.”

  With wide eyes, Nicolina turned to Amber, who slept peacefully in my chair, wrapped in my blanket. “I’m going to miss you when she kills you, Richard.”

  “You could protect me. You’re on Team Richard.”

  “Team Nicolina.”

  The two glared at each other, and I rolled my eyes. Dante chuckled. “Pick me for your team, Declan, and don’t pick Elliot. I want to play, and it’s no fun if Elliot’s on my team. We should take Vicky, because Vicky would have a great time toying with Elliot.”

  Elliot shrugged. “Sounds like a plan to me. Richard? Stop arguing with your mate and finish the first team selection. We have enough people to start the game now. We’ll keep count during the negotiations and set up a point system. Winner of the first round gets to enjoy having the other team play servants in Beijing.”

  “I automatically win that one, Elliot. I have the highest rank among us in Beijing by default. And anyway, they have rules on hierarchy in Beijing, and we can’t change that because we’re playing a pack game. Pick a different prize.”

  “Loser has to bake and cook a grand feast for a combined Seattle-Yellowknife gathering at your lodge,” Elliot suggested.

  “I will crush you ruthlessly, Declan,” Richard announced. “And when I win, you have to spend winter with Amber at the cabin I’m building for you and cook for me once a week.”

  “What do I get when I win?” I demanded.

  “I will upgrade the kitchen of both of your cabins and add an expansion to both, plus I’ll handle cooking and baking for the grand feast. Either way, I’ll be a gentleman and slate Amber for you to court, which will end the problem of single women trying to hunt for you in packs. Amber won’t mind being sacrificed or courted, and since she’ll be off the operative roster for at least six months, you’ll protect her from amorous men.”

  “Can we have that as a general condition win or lose?” I asked.

  “Good point. Right. Scratch that. I’ll sacrifice my wallet and take you to the best cooking store in the world, and you can buy everything you want for both of your kitchens.”

  I didn’t have to think on that for long. “Deal.”

  “As I heard your planning, I’m taking Elliot as my next team member,” Richard announced. “Don’t feel like you have to claim Dante as your next pick, Declan. I don’t want him. Taking him would ruin half the fun. I recommend you take Sanders, Frank, and Alex for your next picks.”

  “Frank and Alex?”

  “Alex is my brother and the Second in my pack. Frank is my Third. They live for defeating me at every opportunity. I should take Wendy, Sara, and Evelyn, too. You should take Vicky, as that will make our teams even more competitive.”

  “Dante?”

  “Evelyn is my mate, Wendy is Desmond’s mate, and Sara is Sanders’s mate, so us taking Frank, Alex, and Vicky is a good balance. We should also take Vivian, who is Frank’s mate. Vivian has wanted a chance at Richard for a while. While Frank and Vivian are fun on opposite teams, Vivian is a great general teacher, so she’ll be good to have with us. The goal is to help you learn the ropes, after all.”

  Richard rubbed his hands together. “I’ll take Anthony and Lane.”

&nbs
p; I narrowed my eyes and considered my friend and the SEAL, who were still passed out and showed no sign of waking. “What are the odds they’ll get hurt during this?”

  “Zero, and they’ll have fun competing with you.”

  Unlike his daughter, Desmond emerged from my bedroom wearing his own clothes. “My daughter tore through your bedroom in her desire to be scandalous in her clothing choices, and I can’t guarantee how much of it survived her antics, so I owe you a shopping trip. Let Lane and Anthony be on the other team. They’ll have a good time, and so will you.”

  Desmond’s daughter sniffed and headed into the kitchen, grabbing a plate and dishing out some rice and curry. “If his clothing doesn’t survive us, he has to come back home where he belongs, and we have a good custody sharing program in place. You will get him half of the time, and I will get him the other half of the time.”

  “Just because he’ll be at his cabin up in Yellowknife does not mean he will cook for you all of the time. You have a mate who is just as good at cooking.”

  Richard grinned. “Thank you, although I’m going to go out on a limb and say Declan’s better.” Joining his wife at the stove, he dished out a serving, which he handed to me. “I will be expecting you to eat a second plate when you’re done but start with that. You’re stressed and not sleeping, so you need the extra calories. I’ll ask the Chinese to bring you something loaded with calories for you to snack on, too. You and Amber both need it. And don’t argue, because if you argue, Desmond will surely annoy you far worse than I will.”

  “I really will.”

  Rather than argue, I took the plate into my bedroom, closed the door behind me, and made short work of breakfast before hunting through my clothes. I had no idea how the woman had found time to fling everything everywhere, but she had an opinion about my pants, which she’d stuffed under the bed.

  The rest of the day would be interesting, especially if Amber and Nicolina decided to attend the talks wearing nothing but one of my shirts. What would happen if the Russians stared at them for their apparel choices? With my clothing of choice tucked under my arm, I dropped off the empty plate in the kitchen before staging a retreat to the bathroom to clean the blood and grime off.

  Only after I’d changed into my clothes, one of many variants of my work apparel, I regretted not owning a suit. While in the bathroom, everyone had opted to dress appropriately, and the men all wore suits, and Nicolina worked to straighten ties, adjust cuff links, and do a full head-to-toe check of their attire. She wore a black gown with heels, and diamond studs glittered in her ears.

  “Can I stay home? I’m underdressed.”

  “Nope,” Nicolina replied. “You’re going to stand still with your arms out while my father and Richard measure you, and those measurements will go to the Chinese, and you’ll be in appropriate attire by tomorrow. Amber will be wearing your shirt, because there’s no way I’m tossing her into her gown. Our original plan had been to show off and buy clothes after. She’ll be fine wearing your shirt. It’s like a short version of a dress, especially if you add a belt.”

  I’d purchased pajamas at some point after moving to Russia, and I went to the bedroom, dug through the scattered laundry, and located them, taking them to Nicolina. “Amber deserves to maintain her dignity in some fashion. These have a draw string, and it will be warmer than just my work shirt.”

  Nicolina scowled. “We have enough left to feed her again, Richard. Let her wake up and get changed. If we don’t, Declan will whine.”

  “Yes, I will.” I forced the pajamas into the woman’s arms. “Your gown is lovely, but why are we doing formal attire for this?”

  “We’re making an impression. Hey, Richard? What are the odds the Chinese can rig a suit for him before the meeting?”

  “Flip a coin. I’ll ask. It’s not like we aren’t already stirring the pot for the hell of it at this stage.”

  Nicolina smirked. “You’re just mad because the more you ask of them, the more they’re going to pressure you into continuing your grand lineage. And with my pedigree? Hah. You’re going to be reminded you’re a hot stud at least once a day. And I will bask in the glow while you squirm.”

  “And I will spend the entire time trying to keep your father from killing the Chinese because they’re going to inevitably imply you’re a broodmare who should be in season already.”

  “I have learned that if I gush about children and inform the requester that I am making certain I will be the best mother on the planet, they generally leave me alone. And if they press the point, I find growling that at them does a very good job of making them back off. Evelyn promised we could watch her entire brood for one weekend. If we survive that, we’re as ready as we’ll ever be. It’s the final exam.”

  Richard grinned. “I see Evelyn is planning on taking Dante out back to work on building her homegrown hockey team again.”

  Dante shrugged. “I’m not seeing any problems with this. And Nicolina, if you want kids, just drag Richard out back. He’s not going to complain, and you don’t have to situate the pack perfectly. If Richard isn’t confident, he’ll just call in Sara and your father. And if Declan proves he has a knack for it, you’ll be covered.”

  “I just have a hard time resisting the moon, just like my mother.”

  “You’re even worse than your mother, but don’t worry about it,” Desmond said, and he smiled, giving his daughter a kiss on her forehead. “You don’t have anything to prove. If Richard needs help, he’ll ask, and there’s zero problems with him asking for help. Hell, your mother needed an Omega and three Alphas to get your little brother into the world. If you need an Omega, three Alphas, and whatever the hell Declan is, that’s what you need, and that’s fine. We’ll have to see how Amber shakes out, but by the time you need her help, she’ll be around, too. And then we have those pesky Anderson twins kicking around, and Dante is pretty damned good at handling pregnant bitches.”

  “I can probably handle Nicolina on my own, but that would be a little harder on her than she’d like.” Declan shrugged. “Elliot?”

  “I’m fully confident in my ability to put together a team capable of handling you at your worst for the duration of your pregnancy, Nicolina. And if you goad him into an out-of-season pregnancy, you won’t have any competition in the harder part of your pregnancy.” Elliot raised a brow at Richard. “That would be one way to dodge unwanted adoration in Beijing.”

  “Why are you looking at me?”

  “You’re the stud, and the stud gets saddled with the pressure to perform.” Elliot managed to keep his expression neutral, something I admired, as everybody else lasted a few moments before cracking up laughing. “I’m not sure you’re a good enough pedigree for Nicolina. She’s a prime broodmare, and you’re a scrawny runt.”

  Richard bowed his head and sighed. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this.”

  “Would you like me to treat you like a premier stud?” Nicolina asked, and she batted her lashes at her mate. “I bet I could talk to the Russians for hours about how I’ll have to use you as a stud and establish myself as the supreme ruler of Yellowknife.”

  “At the risk of being killed by your father, you have my attention.”

  Desmond laughed. “You’re an idiot, Richard. If I didn’t think you’d be a good father for my grandchildren, I would have tossed you into the ocean long ago. But if you don’t give my daughter a puppy at her demand, I have a silver cage with your name on it.”

  “Now you’re going to stall me before I have to be a stud?” Richard complained. “Thank you for not killing me. I do appreciate that.”

  “You’ve even forgiven me for that week I kept you in my basement.”

  “Mostly,” Richard muttered.

  “I haven’t yet, Father,” Nicolina growled.

  Desmond chuckled and crouched beside Amber, giving her a shake. “Amber, darling? You need to wake up before my daughter cruelly attacks Richard and uses him for one of her wicked schemes.”

&nbs
p; “I heard,” Amber grumbled. “Is it actually possible for anyone to sleep through your noise?”

  “Declan has volunteered his pajamas for you if you’d like to meet the Russians in something other than his work shirt.”

  “Do they smell like him?” Amber asked.

  Nicolina lifted my pajamas to her nose and sniffed. “I can confirm they have been spritzed with the Cologne du Declan.”

  Amber held out her arms, and Nicolina tossed my pajamas her way. With a grunt and a few mumbled threats promising death if we woke her until it was ten minutes before we were ready to leave, she used my clothes as a pillow and closed her eyes.

  Richard stepped to my side, and he tugged on my sleeve. When I leaned his way, he whispered, “If you are not interested in Amber as a prospective mate or to court her, now is the time to make that decision. That’s a thing we do. The scent of a prospective mate is comforting, especially when we’re ill like she is.” In a louder voice, he said, “You’re already doing better, Amber. You woke up and didn’t start hacking.”

  “I’m pretty sure I threw up on Declan several times last night.”

  “You missed,” I said. “My bathroom floor has seen better days, but I cleaned it.”

  “Hey, he can clean. Dibs.” Amber yawned and snuggled into my rocking chair. “Shush.”

  Desmond gave Amber another shake, clucking his tongue at her. “We’re about ready to go, Amber. You need to get changed, then you can go back to sleep in whichever vehicle you want for the trip, all right? Nicolina will help, because you’re so tired you don’t know which end is up at this point. But since you didn’t start throwing up right away, you’re over the worst of it. You’ll be fine. Richard is going to make sure there’s a big lunch for you, too.”

  “Hotpot?”

  “Declan? Up for making Amber hotpot tonight?” Desmond asked.

  I chuckled at the thought of a bunch of meat-hungry wolves devouring hotpot and fighting over the broths. “I don’t mind if we can get the ingredients from your friends, but I’ll have to hit some stores in town for extra pots. If I can get some cast iron ones, we can do a fire pit style for fun. If we’re anywhere near a kitchen, I can do it with ease.”