Page 28 of Wild Wolf

“It’s still stuck.”

“And what are your thoughts on Amber?”

“I think I need to make a rabbit or three for Nicolina so that the ticking bomb in Amber’s head doesn’t go off before we do something about it.” I shrugged. “I asked what she wanted, and that was that. She doesn’t want to drag out a battle with cancer, so she wins either way. I don’t understand the problems or why normal channels won’t work for this, but I’ll do what’s necessary. Wouldn’t it be better if Richard handles the actual work, though?”

“You need to learn the ropes. Richard can back you if you and your wolf can’t figure it out or if you need help. With the wolves in the woods, we’ll do the work in the cabin. She’ll need time to heal, which we don’t have, so outside of a few minutes for her to recover, she’ll need to be human for this. They’ll catch on quickly about what we’re doing, because she’ll have a fairly strong scent, but there’s no avoiding that.” Desmond grabbed one of the boxes and lifted it with a grunt. “This is one of four crates filled with rabbit. I’ll help you set up the grills in the back, and we’ll also use whatever you have available. Most of this is from China, although we did get some here, too. Nothing smelled amiss, but the Russian crates are marked.”

“You really don’t trust them, do you?”

“Not in the slightest. Fortunately, the common drugs that work on us have a strong scent, and there’s no easy way for them to hide wolfsbane in fresh meat. Our noses are too good. Considering we went to places they didn’t anticipate, I don’t expect trouble unless they’re doctoring everything. That is not an impossibility.” Desmond nodded at one of the other crates. “That one has vegetables. According to my daughter, we don’t eat enough vegetables. She started threatening to involve her mother if I didn’t get vegetables.”

I grinned at the thought of Nicolina picking a fight with her father and winning, and I grabbed the crate and carried it towards my cabin. Inside, I discovered the entire pan of brownies had vanished. The culprit napped, and Petra had decided to warm Amber’s feet. “Do you think she stopped to chew?”

“It doesn’t look like it. I can’t say I blame her. Eat or lose out tends to be the general rule around hungry Fenerec and baked goods. She won that round. I’m sure my daughter will survive not getting one of the brownies.”

“I can make more.” I set the box of vegetables on my counter and began the tedious process of sorting through the acquisitions, pleased with the variety. It would take some creativity, but the crate would provide enough sides for everybody. Best of all, I’d be able to make some of my favorite Chinese foods without even thinking about it.

While not vegetables, the collection of sauces and spices I found in the crate would allow me to create masterpieces given enough time.

I needed a bigger kitchen, but I hadn’t built the cabin expecting to feed an entire pack of people.

Desmond ferried crates inside while I went to work. The rabbits came skinned and cleaned, allowing me to go straight to work marinading and spicing them. Adhering to Nicolina’s demand we eat more than meat, a fifty pound bag of rice joined the fray.

“How much of that will I need to make?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at the sack.

“Richard is hungry, so you could cook everything we brought and it might not feed that bottomless pit. Flying took a lot out of him, and he’s ready to forage. If you make half of it, he’ll get enough.”

“Richard can eat twenty-five pounds of rice? In a single sitting?”

“Don’t challenge Richard to an eating competition. He will win.”

“But how? Where does he put the food? He’s not exactly a large man.”

“Not exactly large is a very kind way of saying he’s the runt of the litter.” Desmond grinned, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the front yard. “He’s one of the biggest Fenerec I know when he’s a wolf, but he is vertically challenged as a human. It does make moving him around easier once he drops, although he knows how to pack on the muscle.”

“Will there be a problem with Amber becoming a Fenerec?”

“I have no idea. I can tell you this much, though. They won’t be touching either one of you if they know what’s good for them.”

“Except that wild wolf is still on the loose.”

“I have questions about that wild wolf. Ideally, we’ll capture him alive. If he’s truly wild, we’ll handle the problem. If he’s more of a vigilante, we’ll find out.”

“The ved’ma said he killed his family, and that he attacked other workers at the mill.”

“I’m sure they did say that. What we need to learn is if that’s the truth. Is this wild wolf the actual killer, or is he on the run because the ved’ma tried to kill him and failed? My initial reaction to these brands is they’re all about favoritism. The favored wolves? They seem like fairly average Fenerec. I don’t know what the other type is or their role, but they’re a step below the favored ones. It’s the other group I’m worried about.”

“The sumasshedshiy volk. From what I gather, the ved’ma prevent them from shifting, and then they go mad and rampage. They know they’re going to go mad and snap, but they maintain their traditions anyway. From what I understand, the mayor is the one who determines what category someone is put into. Every full moon, they hunt for people and brand them. They call it the unveiling or something like that.”

“Or they could be hunting people, forcing the ritual on them, and branding them afterwards.”

I shrugged. “That’s a possibility. I make sure I stay far from the city during the full moons, and I lock myself in my cabin. They’ve been watching me, and after the incident at the sawmill, it was either call or swim across the river into China.”

“Next time, swim across the river into China before you call. Or make some distance otherwise first. That makes it easier to do an investigation. That said, this needs to be investigated, so you made the right choice. If the locals do as they promised, we’ll be left alone until tomorrow, after which talks will begin. Once talks begin, we need to make sure we constantly stay together in a group. If they want you to be part of their pack, it’s entirely possible they’ll try to take you by force.”

“Why?”

“Desperate wolves are dangerous wolves. Their reaction to the mention of Moscow makes me believe they’re going to become desperate soon. Honestly, if I were them, I’d be more concerned about the Chinese. They take debts seriously, and they hold Richard in high regard. They’ll use force if needed to repay their debt to Richard. Beijing and Moscow have a tolerable relationship right now, which could complicate matters.”