Wild Wolf Read online

  “How is he taking it?”

  “He’s liking it, especially when the local Fenerec and Fenerec-born women realized he’s single and part of my pack. He’s conservative enough to drive the women crazy, and Anthony is having a good time playing the game, too. I suggested if they played hard to get, they would be able to find a good partner. And with Fenerec, it’s absolutely true. The faster a potential mate runs, the more focused the Fenerec or Fenerec-born becomes. That’s essentially how Nicolina got herself into trouble with Richard. Richard ran.”

  “Richard ran?”

  “He was convinced I’d beat him or worse if he showed any interest in my daughter. Of course, I locked him in my basement for a while for sneaking around rather than just asking. I wouldn’t have said no to them pairing. Essentially, Nicolina wasn’t handling the advances of the Fenerec and Fenerec-born boys her age well. Her sister loved it. So, Richard was my bet for giving Nicolina breathing space. It didn’t work out quite as I’d planned, but there’s no better man for my daughter than Richard, and Alex treats Nicolina’s sister equally well. Alex is Richard’s brother, and he’s keeping things handled in Yellowknife.”

  “Think Amber will let me hide behind her?” I muttered.

  Desmond chuckled. “As long as you don’t mind Amber circling. I’m hoping you two hit it off, or at the very least, you hit it off enough she’ll accept the ritual.”

  “How bad is she really?”

  “Bad enough I’m going to teach you how to perform the ritual if needed, and if you panic and perform the ritual, it won’t be the first or the last time, and the Inquisition accounts for that during life-and-death situations. While I’ve told my daughter a few years, the reality is closer to a few months.”

  “What’s the diagnosis?”

  “Her witchcraft is essentially failing due to her age. Her magic is still intact, but her body is too old and worn to handle the strain. Witchcraft can extend life, but it can do only so much. Fire witches tend to die younger than earth or water witches. Air witches are fairly rare and difficult to identify, so we don’t know as much about them. Fire witches are the most common type. Because she’s so old, her body is shutting down. She also has cancer, but I think the heart strain will kill her long before the cancer does.”

  “And becoming one of us will stop this?”

  “Correct. And she should remain a witch with full control over her powers once she adapts to being bonded with a wolf. She will light things on fire with disturbing frequency until then, but Elliot has become quite good at manipulating water, as my daughter is very talented at lighting things on fire. I’m not concerned about that. Within a month or two, her age will reverse to her early twenties, back to her prime. She’ll stay in her prime until the end of her lifespan as a Fenerec—and Fenerec can live to become very, very old. We tend to die of unnatural causes, or we’re put down because we’ve gone wild.”

  I sighed. “And is she all right with this, really?”

  “She believes it isn’t an option for her. She has no idea I’m teaching you how to perform the ritual, although my daughter has been dropping hints about Amber becoming one of us. Nicolina believes Amber is receptive.”

  “Is that because Nicolina doesn’t want to lose her witch?”

  “No. Nicolina is talented at figuring out if someone means they want to become a Fenerec. But if we wait until the end of the line, she either wants it or doesn’t. The ritual will succeed or fail. All I’m doing is making it so if you stick close to Amber, if it gets to that, you and your wolf can perform the ritual.”

  “I feel like I’m getting two versions of the same story, and I’m not sure which form of the story is correct.”

  “Dante is an earth witch who enjoys helping other people create families. As such, he probably would prefer if Amber were to be happily mated, and you’re a damned good candidate for Amber.”

  “Because I’m not afraid of her.”

  “Many are. She’s a very powerful witch, and she has been working within the Inquisition as an enforcer for a long time.”

  “And your opinion?”

  “You’ll have a hard time finding a better woman, and she’d have a hard time finding a better man, so you’ll find me a very supportive Alpha, and I’ll keep the other ladies focused on Anthony and Lane, as they’re enjoying our courting practices. Your reactions before make it clear you will not. But you like Amber, and you did from the start.”

  “She beat up six SEALs, Desmond. At the same time.”

  Desmond chuckled and finished his coffee. “That she did. Let’s get you into the pack, and after we see how you react, we’ll decide what we’re going to do about this wild wolf problem plaguing this city.”

  Chapter Five

  My wolf’s desire to be part of a pack sealed the deal, and while the idea of someone’s teeth near my throat worried me, I accepted it as necessary. The entire process took less than a minute, but it left me beyond exhausted. I didn’t understand how being nipped in the throat and hearing the howls of two wolves in my head could wipe me out, but I staggered to my chair, dropped on it, and struggled to stay awake.

  “It’s not uncommon,” Desmond informed me, cleaning my coffee pot and washing the two cups before restoring everything to order. “Normally, I’d have Amber check on you, but I don’t want to tax her witchcraft. It’s what’s keeping her alive. Before you clock out, I do want to teach you how to perform the ritual in case it’s needed. Or, more accurately, my wolf wants to teach your wolf. I can do that through the pack bonds. All you need to do is let your wolf out a little.”

  “Let him out?”

  “Don’t try to control him at all. When you feel my wolf in the pack bonds, just be. My wolf can then have a chat with your wolf. You’ll feel it more than hear anything, though.” Desmond shrugged. “You might not notice at all. But for the ritual to work, it’s the wolf that needs to do the work. You’ll listen to your wolf—or let him handle it completely. It’s more dangerous to give the wolf full control, but it’s generally okay during the ritual, because the wolf has a job to do and wants to create new pack members. Most wolves settle after performing the ritual.”

  “I’ll just take your word on that.” The howling quieted, but I became aware of four distinct presences in my head. “There are five in the pack?”

  “Good. You can distinguish presences. That’ll make it easier for you to adapt. Some new to the pack bonds get completely overwhelmed, even in a small pack, and don’t learn to identify individuals for several months. Yes, there are five of us. Me, you, my mate, Anthony, and Lane. Some don’t even get tired after being brought in the pack. Sanders is one of them. He gets a rush from it. Richard varies. Some days, he gets a rush. On others? He’ll go down and stay down for a while. It depends on his health at the time. You’re probably more exhausted because being in a pack calms the wolf, and when the wolf relaxes, any fatigue that was masked tends to surge to the surface. Basically, your wolf feels safe, so he’s ready for a nap, which means you’re ready for a nap, because you haven’t had much security lately.”

  I couldn’t argue with his theory, so I didn’t. “Do you think the Russians will come calling?”

  “I’m counting on it, but don’t worry about it. We’ll stay here for a while before going to our hotel. Your pet wolf changes things, since we can’t just take you to our hotel. Most of us could shift to wolves and share space in your cabin. That might be safer, especially if there are Russian wolves hunting in your woods.”

  “Just about every night,” I muttered.

  “I don’t want to leave you unguarded then, and I don’t want to divide us in potentially hostile territory. We’ll figure something out.” Desmond paced around my cabin and came to a halt in front of my fireplace. “Will you be okay if everyone comes into your space?”

  “Will they fit?”

  “We’re not shy about sharing personal space, so yes. Just rest a while and let your wolf listen to mine. And well, if you fall aslee
p, no harm done. We’ll have to get enough to feed everybody, though.”

  “I should have enough. I got extra using Petra as an excuse, and I can bake some bread, too.”

  “Rest first,” Desmond ordered, heading for the door. “Don’t be surprised if you get some hugs. Richard is convinced all problems can be solved through affection.”

  “And I bet he learned that from you,” I muttered.

  He laughed. “You’re probably right. Our wolves are affectionate creatures. I’m sure you’ll get used to it. If you’re lucky, Amber will try to defend your masculinity.”

  “Is my masculinity at any risk?”

  “No, but it’s fun watching her lose her temper because she forgets your wolf is probably as much of an attention whore as mine.”

  There couldn’t have been much to the ritual. My wolf listened to something I couldn’t hear, but it only took a few minutes before he settled. I meant to close my eyes for only a moment, but when I woke up, someone was cooking in my kitchen, and the scent of bread baking did a good job of stirring my hunger. I cracked open an eye to discover my cabin crammed full of witches and wolves.

  Anthony had somehow charmed Petra, as the wolf sprawled over his lap and permitted him to scratch behind her ears. “You’re an addle pate. What did you do to my wolf?”

  The programmer grinned at me. “I fed her cheese.”

  As I couldn’t blame Petra for her betrayal when presented with cheese, I sighed, stretched, and discovered Nicolina at my feet. “Sorry, Nicolina.”

  “I was aware of the risk of being kicked when I picked this spot. Richard told me I had to make friends with your wolf. I’m usually bad with mundanes, as I get jealous, and he wants to pet her, too. So I have to become friends with Petra so he can pet her without me trying to bite her.”

  “Please don’t bite my wolf.”

  Richard, who worked in my kitchen, chuckled and waved from where he guarded my stove and tended to my largest stock pot. “Desmond said you’d lasted all of five minutes after he brought you into the pack, so he put me to work cooking. He took your SEAL, the witches, and Sanders with him into Blagoveshchensk to get more supplies. Amber is armed and itching for a fight, so they’ll be fine. They should be back within an hour. He called and let us know they’ve done a good job of cleaning out several butchers. He also bought two grills.”

  “He’s being excessive,” I muttered. “I have a mangal in the back.”

  My mangal was handmade, although I could have gotten one for cheap in many stores. It would vex anyone who wasn’t used to working over the equivalent of a pit lit on fire.

  “You needed two more grills. Proper grills.”

  “Where did he even find grills here?” While Blagoveshchensk counted as a city, it lacked a lot of frills, and Russians didn’t grill, not in the way Americans did. Russians used a mangal to make shashlyk, which was far more intensive than barbecue in many ways yet somehow more relaxing and enjoyable overall.

  I liked everything about shashlyk, from the marinading process, the careful selection and trimming of meat, the skewers, and working over coals rather than the standard American grills. If time and circumstances allowed, I’d show them shashlyk.

  “China.”

  “He went to China to get grills?”

  Richard gave the contents of the pot a stir before turning to face me. “Well, he called a contact in China, who brought what he wanted to the river, and he crossed, got everything, and came back. He has the documentation from Moscow that makes the border guards look the other way, and the Chinese government gave him a passport years ago with a notation he’s not to be disturbed crossing the border. We’ve figured out why the Fenerec here are open about what they are. They have no choice. They’d starve otherwise. They do take care to avoid foreigners from noticing them, but once someone makes Blagoveshchensk their residence? They’re brought into the lifestyle. There’s just no way for them to hide it.”

  “That’s bad, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe. It’s only a matter of time before a whistleblower finds Blagoveshchensk and lets the world know, but it’s basically a miracle we’ve hidden it for so long. It’s getting a lot harder to convince people that we don’t exist. Cell phones play a big part in that.”

  Anthony nodded from his place near the fireplace, which had been lit. To my delight, someone had rummaged through my stuff and discovered I had several cast iron pots with lids suitable for making bread in the fireplace. “There’s only so many times you can claim the picture was manipulated before people stop believing it’s a fake. And once I was told it was real, it became pretty obvious. Desmond thinks I might have even figured you out given a little more time.”

  I rolled my shoulders and winced at the crack of sore joints. “How’d he get an open passport with China?”

  Richard’s wife shot a glare at her husband. “One of the daughters of a prominent politician began going wild, and Father saved her. Richard has connections with the Chinese, but if he went, we’d get sucked into going to Beijing for at least a week.”

  According to her tone, Nicolina wanted to go to Beijing for at least a week. “That would be a good way to get out of Russia if needed.”

  Richard laughed. “I’ve already notified my Chinese contacts we’re in Blagoveshchensk, and if they don’t hear from us at set intervals, they’ll come to investigate. I told Moscow I had done this, and Moscow approved said investigation, as they are concerned about the situation. Apparently, Blagoveshchensk has not been maintaining appropriate contact with Moscow, and their behavior with you violates certain rules Moscow set in regards to the supernatural. Add in that you’re one of Desmond’s pack? Moscow was ready to launch an operation. Desmond had to assure them he could fetch you himself. Moscow would like to meet you, and any Russian identity you may want would be officiated, by the way. They don’t want to upset Desmond, and keeping Desmond happy by keeping one of Desmond’s pack happy is something they like. Moscow is aware of your status as a recent rogue who was raised outside of the Inquisition and is being integrated, and they’re surprisingly relaxed about the transition period. What’s going on here goes against how they operate, however.”

  “Alevtina Petrovna Volkova seemed concerned at the mention of Moscow.”

  “The Russian branch of the Inquisition does not treat those who break the rules well, and they don’t like when us randy Americans come calling because one of ours doesn’t want to be branded,” Richard replied. “They were unaware they’ve been branding Fenerec here. Branding is reserved for cattle, not for people. Desmond convinced them to let him look into the situation. Moscow’s method of removing the problem would have been immediate and violent. Desmond would prefer to rescue any victims before the violence begins. But this has created a significant problem.”

  “It has? What problem has it created?”

  “If there’s one city with the supernatural out in the open, it’s only a matter of time before news we exist spreads. The Inquisition is discussing its options, but the general consensus boils down to the acknowledgment we can’t hide forever. It’ll be better for all of us if we reveal ourselves before someone reveals us in a way we don’t want.”

  Shit. “What will that mean for us?”

  “Very little will change. We’ll have to be just as careful, but it’ll be a little easier for people to identify us unless we take steps. We have no idea how people will react to the knowledge that Fenerec and witches are real.” Richard turned back to the stove. “And Desmond thinks you might be our best visual representative.”

  “Me?” I blurted.

  “You don’t have to get undressed to shift, and you don’t bleed everywhere if you rush your transformation. We’ll try to dye your fur, and we’ll use camera tricks to prevent the glow from being noticeable, but if we need to reveal ourselves, you’d hide our secrets the best while proving there are men who can transform into wolves. And with your general skills, you can probably disguise your general appearance so you won�
��t be recognized later. Basically, you can disappear if needed. We can’t.”

  I couldn’t dispute his claim, and while I was horrified over the idea of openly declaring I could become a wolf, the thought intrigued my wolf. To appease my wolf, I said, “I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s the most we can ask of you. I hope you’re all right with stew. It’s the easiest to make with this many people. Once Desmond gets here with the grills, we can fire them up and do a proper dinner, but Desmond was worried you weren’t getting enough calories, though you look better than you did before.”

  “Old habits,” I replied, and I got up off my rocking chair with a tired groan. “We didn’t even fight, and I feel like I’ve been put through a wringer.”

  “That can happen. We’ll feed you, and you’ll be as good as new tomorrow. Desmond didn’t seem worried; he just ordered us to keep an eye on you, as he thought it’d been so long since you and your wolf felt safe you’d catch up on sleep.”

  As Desmond wasn’t wrong, I nodded, picked my way around the people taking over my cabin, and peeked into the stew pot, taking a sniff and determining whatever was in it hadn’t come from the butcher or my freezer. “What is this?”

  “The local Fenerec gave us a list of what we’re allowed to hunt. They informed us they keep a roe farm and several flocks of geese, releasing prey into the wild each season to minimize the damage they do to the wild populations, so we can take as many as we want of those species. We took down two older boars, a few geese, and an old buck. We found an abandoned fawn, which Desmond took to town so she could go to the farm. I’m concerned he might try to adopt her.”

  Nicolina rolled her eyes, came into the kitchen, and attached herself to me while peeking into the pot. “I told him he couldn’t keep the fawn. Deer are for eating, and if we start keeping pet deer, deer will be off the menu.”