Winter's Dawn (16 page)

“It’s your fault Susie and I have to be royalty against our will!” Max snapped.

“Not wholly. I think your father and Aunt Susan did the dirty work, but I will go ahead and plead guilty anyway. I don’t even feel sorry for it. Your father and grandfather before him were mediocre leaders and when I saw the hope for something better, I seized it without thought.”

“So you think I’ll be a good king?”

She tilted her head to look up at him, her eyes clear and unblinking. “I know you will be an incredible king. Better than the old ones, and from my father’s words I can determine that is saying something.”

“And Susie and I are going to find a way to be happy?”

She sighed and looked back at her nails. “That part is hazy for me, Your Majesty, but I believe you will find peace. When, I cannot say, or even how. It could be in death for all I know, but eventually you will be happy.”

Max laughed. “You need a new hobby. That was a dreadful prediction.”

She giggled. “Yeah, that was pretty dreadful. The first one was nice, though, wasn’t it? To be a wonderful king, better than our people have had in thousands of years. Surely that is worth something.”

Max shook his head. “I don’t think so. That one sort of falls flat for me, especially when you just told me Government work keeps you up all hours of the night. ”

She laughed at him and then rubbed his arm lovingly. “Ask me if I love my job.”

“Do you love your job?”

“I do,” she said solemnly. “There is no greater cause than serving my people and I find it unendingly rewarding. I think you will too.”

Max rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand and then looked back at the palace. “You know, it’s not even Susie I’m hiding from. They are all going to be waiting there for me, wanting to clap and congratulate me. I just can’t deal with hundreds of werewolves asking me about my sex life this morning. Gods, I am so tired I can’t even see straight and my tolerance for their bullshit is going to nonexistent.”

“So you go to the queen and I will get rid of all the drifters, your father and aunt included.”

He gaped. “Can you do that?”

“First rule of leadership, Your Majesty. When you want them to do something, you tell them in a nice but firm way that leaves no room for argument.”

“But, my father is your boss.”

Serena shook her head, another brilliant smile forming on her beautiful face. “Not anymore, he isn’t.”

“Ah.” Max looked at the palace for one long moment before he turned back to his cousin. “Serena, kindly tell them all that I do not want to be disturbed until I have had many hours of rest.”

“Gladly,” she said and then inclined her head to him. “You will give the queen my very best wishes.”

“I will.”

“Then until the next full moon, Your Majesty,” Serena said and started walking back towards the palace.

“You’ll be there?” he called after her, forcing her to turn back to him. “Next time?”

She inclined her head once more. “Until the queen is ready.”

Chapter Nine

“Gods, but it’s easier to put on than take off,” Susie complained as she scrubbed at his back with a washcloth. “I need more soap.”

Max handed her the soap, which was unique from the soap they usually used, a brown bar with a harsh smell and an awful, gritty feel to it. Susie rubbed it over his back, making him wince from the feel of it. His skin still had lingering extra sensitivity.

He was profoundly depressed to come to the realization that he had not managed to work off all the sexual frustration and he was highly confused by it. All other unmated werewolves found a single wolf to have sex with during the full moon. Max had found five. He had sex with all of them, forgoing sleep and hunting, and still he was frustrated. That seemed wholly unfair, even for an alpha wolf.

“I’m hungry,” he whined. “I’m about to faint I’m so hungry.”

“There is food right there.” Susie gestured to the plate at the edge of their tub. “Didn’t you hunt?”

He turned to look back at her, giving her a long stare. “No, I didn’t.”

She resumed her work on his back. “Then eat. No one is stopping you.”

Max looked at the plate, eyeing the steak and potatoes with disgust. “It’s too well done.”

“Gods, help me, Max,” Susie snapped. “It’s as rare as can be without being freshly killed.”

“I’m not eating it,” he told her firmly. “And I don’t want beef. I want venison.”

Susie laughed incredulously. “Would you like me send someone out hunting for you?”

“Yes, I would.”

“You’re serious.” Susie reached forward and grabbed his chin so that he was forced to turn and look at her. “You want deer meat?”

“Yes, I do. I want deer meat and I don’t want it cooked. I want it raw and still warm. Send my father. It can be his new job.”

“This is not happening.” Susie threw the washcloth aside in annoyance. “You went to the running. No wolf eats raw meat right after the running. You shouldn’t start craving it for another three weeks and you are being a pain in the ass. Why didn’t the running work?”

“I don’t know why it didn’t work.” Max folded his arms over his chest. “Why don’t we consult the alpha werewolf guide book? Oh, wait, there isn’t one, because we’re the only alphas in existence and all the rest have been dead for a really long time. How very unfortunate for us!”

“Fine.” Susie crawled out of the tub. “I’ll send someone to hunt for you, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you.”

“Max, you better figure out a way to get a handle on your attitude while I am gone,” she growled at him as her skin dried instantly. “Because I am not tolerating it. I am not one of your followers. I am an alpha female and your mate. I don’t walk in the pack. I lead it, big wolf. You think about what that means while you work at getting that dreadful stuff off.”

Max did as told and worked at getting the oil off, making more progress than Susie had because his frustration had him rubbing at his skin so forcefully a human would have scraped it clean off.

He was working on his hair when Susie returned, but it was proving far more difficult to get clean. He threw the soap in the water and covered his eyes with his hands.

“Don’t yell at me,” he told her. “I’m trying to get a handle on it. I know I’m being a pain in the ass.”

Susie stripped off her clothes once more. He let his hand fall from his eyes to stare at her fully naked. He let his gaze wander up from her slim thighs, to the curve of her waist and then higher, to her breasts that were nicely rounded and pert.

“Are you getting a good eyeful? Shall I turn around?” Max lifted his gaze to hers and Susie growled at him, “Say, yes, Maxwell, and we’re going to have a problem.”

“I wasn’t going to say it,” he told her defensively.

“I sent someone hunting,” she told him as she went to the vanity in the bathroom and picked up the tranquilizer bottle Maggie had left behind. “Hold out your hand.”

Maxwell did as told. Susie dumped the remaining pills into his hand. He took them without anything to drink, wincing at the chalky taste they left in his mouth.

“I called one of our own doctors,” Susie started as she crawled back into the tub. “I explained that we have an abnormally high tolerance for just about everything. They are going to bring you something stronger.”

Max frowned. “What are they bringing?”

Susie shook her head. “Don’t ask.”

“I’m asking.”

“Gods.” She gave a pained laugh. “Horse tranquilizers.”

“Please tell me you’re joking.” He gaped at her. “Do I look like a horse?”

“Yeah, you look like a horse.” She started working one his hair for him, pouring mounds of shampoo onto it. “Whine like a horse for me.”

Max laughed. “You are not funny.”

“You’re laughing,” she said softly. “I must be a little funny.”

“Gods, I am really sorry, Susie Bee,” he admitted as he shook his head. “I don’t want to be so confrontational.”

“You must have picked the wrong female, Max.” Susie worked her hands into his soapy hair. “We’ll just deal with it until the next full moon and you can try another one. A really strong beta. Maybe one from our own line.”

Max was quiet before he whispered, “That won’t work.”

“Of course it will,” she argued, her fingers still massaging his scalp. “It was your first time. You just chose poorly. I’m sure it happens to all young wolves.”

“I had one from our line.”

“You did?” Susie pulled him back so he was forced to fall against her shoulder. “Who?”

“Serena.” He closed his eyes when he saw the shocked look on her face.

“Serena Wellington?” Susie whispered in disbelief. “You had sex with our Canadian President?”

“Yes.”

“Why am I smelling lies on you?” Susie asked sharply. “What aren’t you telling me, Max?”

“Gods.” He wiped at the soap trying to run into his eyes. “It wasn’t just Serena.”

“You were with more than one?”

He winced “Yes.”

“How many more?”

“More than one.”

“I’d like a number.” Susie growled when he didn’t answer her. “Now!”

“Five.”

Max was suddenly choking when Susie pushed him under the water. She held his head down for what felt like an eternity before he finally pushed her away and jerked back up choking and gasping.

When he caught his breath, he snapped at her, “You asked and I told you!”

“It’s not all out.” Susie shoved him under once more.

He was painfully breathless again, having sucked in a large gulp of water the second time and Susie’s hold was firm on his head as she gripped his hair in both hands.

She finally released him and he jumped to his feet, coughing up water and choking more than before. He flipped his head back and growled at her, “Have you lost your mind?”

“I was rinsing your hair.”

“Like hell! You were trying to drown me!” he yelled and then held a hand to his chest. “Do you think I’m happy about this problem?”

Susie shrugged. “I don’t know, are you?”

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Yes, I was with five of them. I didn’t eat. I didn’t sleep. All I did was have sex the whole damn time and guess what? It didn’t work. I am still frustrated because they weren’t you. I am an alpha male. I am part of a pair. No one is going to be able to help me but you!”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry for trying to drown you. That was uncalled for.”

He fell heavily back down in the water.

“You might as well.” He shook his head. “I really hate myself. I don’t want to have sex with any of them. I only want my Susie Bee. That’s it.”

“Okay, come on, big wolf.” Susie waded back over to him and pulled him to her. “So you’ve got a few more hormones than the rest of them. We’ll find a way to deal with it until I go into heat.”

He let his head fall back between the valley of her breasts, closing his eyes when she started stroking his hair. “I’m really tired.”

“I guess so.”

His tongue felt thick in his mouth and the room started to blur around the edges. “I am sorry, Sue, so sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry for something that is part of your nature,” she argued, surprising him with just how accepting she was. “I don’t want you to suffer. That’s the last thing in the world I want. We’ll get you really strong females. Serena should be able to help us find some better ones before the next full moon.”

“There aren’t that many arctic wolves around here,” he argued.

“We’ll have them brought in.” Susie continued to stroke his hair. “And make a little arctic wolf harem.”

He laughed again. “Not funny.”

“I’m starting to get testy with you over this continued opposition to my humor.” A smile sounded in her voice. “I am an alpha female. That means my sense of humor is that much more powerful than an average wolf’s sense of humor.”

He tilted his head up to look at her. “Truer words have never been spoken, Susie Bee. I love you.”