Winter's Dawn (18 page)

“That bitch is your cousin,” Max reminded her.

“I don’t claim black wolves as kin,” she sniffed. “I don’t claim brown wolves either.”

“You hardly claim the arctic ones,” he said, before he sighed. “You’ve got to bring her with you to Paris.”

She moaned. “How is my sister ever going to find a mate if you keep toying with her every full moon?”

“I’m sorry, Serena. I really am,” he admitted honestly. “But, you have to bring her. You two are the only arctic females from the alpha royal line.”

“Why won’t brown wolves work again? There are dozens and dozens of royal brown wolves from the old spring line.”

He arched an eyebrow as he leaned back once more. “Fine, you first. I’m sure they’ll be plenty of handsome ones at Aubert’s running.”

“I’d die first,” she growled in a low voice. “There is no such thing as a handsome brown wolf.”

“I have mutual feelings.”

Serena moaned again. “Do you know how much it’s going to cost me to bring her to Paris?”

“Susie’s going to get her summer wardrobe. They can go together and I’ll pay for it.”

“No, she’s my sister. I’ll pay for her wardrobe. I would have been paying for it anyway,” Serna huffed in defeat. “Money is spent just as easily in Canada as it is in France. I assume you’re going shopping with her.”

“Of course. Do you think I’d let Sue run around Paris with a rogue uprising?”

“Fine, you and I can go over things while they shop,” Serena said as the sound of her searching through papers could be heard. “It’ll give us time to get the work behind us before the running.”

“Don’t Canadian Presidents need summer wardrobes?” Max asked curiously.

“Yes, I suppose,” Serena admitted reluctantly. “But Katrina is the same size as me. She can just pick it out and go through the torture of fittings. Shopping is the only thing she is good for. I have no idea why I still speak to my brother. Mating outside the family and leaving me with that money-draining brat should have earned him my silence for eternity.”

“Yet you still speak to him.” Max smiled. “You aren’t nearly as mean as you put on.”

“Tell anyone and I’ll deny it,” she told him. “Now go eat something raw, take your horsey pills and stop picking on pretty arctic wolves with a desk full of work.”

“Very well.” He was about to hang up the phone before he asked, “You will make sure the others get there, won’t you?”

“You do realize my organization of your running activities is by far the most bizarre job I have ever been assigned.” Serena let out a bitter laugh. “But, yes, I’ll make sure they get there.”

“Thank you. Go back to your work.” He hung up the phone and then tilted his head to look at Susie. “You don’t mind having company shopping, do you?”

She looked up from her work, her voice dreamy. “Hmm?”

“Katrina will probably want to go shopping with you. Do you mind?”

“Sounds lovely.” She looked back down at her books. “We’ll have a little arctic shopping party. Feel sorry for the Parisians.”

He snorted. “Forget the Parisians, feel sorry for my wallet.”

“Yes, that too,” Susie said dismissively. “Are you buying her wardrobe?”

“No, Serena’s paying for hers.”

“Seems unfair if she’s going to Paris because of you.” Susie looked up once more and frowned. “You know she loves to shop. Taking Katrina to Paris is like dangling raw meat in front of a grouchy alpha wolf.”

“I offered. What more can I do?”

“Hmm, well, good for me.” Susie glanced down once more. “I hate having only you for company when I shop.”

“Thanks,” he said, before he growled. “Where is my food? It’s been an hour since I sent him to get it.”

“Put your teeth back in. It hasn’t been an hour.” Susie shook her head. “Gods, it’s a wonder we don’t have to replace your entire staff monthly. I don’t know how they tolerate you the week before a running. I barely tolerate you.”

“You’re hurting my feelings.”

“You’re fine,” she said, before she waved a hand. “Go do king things. I’m studying.”

****

“He’s useless. Fire him.”

Max turned his attention back to Adam. “What?”

“Claude. He’s useless.” Adam spoke more slowly. “You need to fire him. He has no business being Head of Exterminators, especially in a city as red hot as Paris. You and I spent two full days hunting and haven’t even put a dent in them.”

“Adam,” Max growled. “What is your job title?”

Adam took a deep breath and ran a hand through his auburn hair. “Prime Executor of Exterminators.”

“Then why do I have fire useless wolves like Claude?” Max asked as he turned around to glare at the French President once more. Aubert was making the rounds, happily oblivious to the fact that Max was trying very hard not to attack him. “Why am I even here melting in France?”

“Did you?”

“Did I what?” Max snapped.

“Fire him?”

“Oh, yes, I fired him.” Max ran a hand over his sweaty forehead. “What sort of sadistic wolf came up with the idea of having a black tie party before every running? I am melting in this tux. Aren’t you melting?”

Adam shook his head, his amber eyes wide. “No, I’m not.”

“Gods, tell me why I can’t kill him again?” Max eyed Adam for help. “I know there’s a good reason.”

“Are you being literal, Maxwell?” Adam asked in concern. “Do you really want to kill Aubert?”

“Yes, I’m being literal. Saying he rubs my fur the wrong way would be an understatement of profound proportions.”

Adam closed his eyes, as though searching for patience. “Well, he’s our cousin for one.”

“That is not a good enough reason.”

“He’s one of your father’s best friends.”

Max shook his head. “If anything, that’s a strike against him.”

“Gods, Maxwell, what do you want me to say? You can’t kill the French President. You can’t kill any wolves that aren’t rogue,” Adam snapped at him. “Do you need something to drink?”

“Why bother? It doesn’t work. None of it works. Damn horse pills don’t work. Why do I keep agreeing to go to these running parties when I am so miserable through them?”

“You have to attend the parties. It’s expected. You’re full-grown. You are king and you have to be social. That’s part of the job.”

“Your queen is radiant this evening, Your Majesty,” a handsome dark-haired male said as he walked up to Adam and Max. “She grows more beautiful with every passing season.”

Max growled and narrowed his eyes at the smaller wolf in front of him.

“His Majesty thanks you.” Adam gripped at Max’s elbow to lead him away. “Excuse us, please.”

“Why do they think I love the idea of knowing they are eyeing her?” Max asked in a low voice. “Don’t they know she’s mine? I don’t want them looking at her.”

“Okay, Max,” Adam said forcefully. “You can’t growl at them. Just say thank you and forget about it.”

“They shouldn’t be looking at her!”

Adam took another deep breath and then reached out to stop a waiter walking by. He grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed them to Max. “Drink these.”

“I hate champagne,” Max grumbled. “Why doesn’t it sink in that my puppyhood killed my enjoyment of champagne forever? Do you want to know what I think of when I taste champagne?”

“What do you think of?”

“I think of hundreds of male wolves looking at my mate and noticing how radiant she is.” Max’s voice was low and inhuman. “If I hear one more male tell me how radiant she is I’m going to lose my temper.”

Adam rubbed at his forehead, appearing frustrated and deep in thought as Danielle came up behind him. “Hi, handsome wolf,” she whispered to him, before she leaned over to smile at Max. “Your queen is—”

Adam covered her mouth with his hand. “Not a healthy thing to say to the king right now.”

“She can say it,” Max said and then drank the champagne despite his distaste for it. “Thank you, Danielle. I know she’s radiant. Ask every male in here who has been noticing that fact and telling me about it for the past hour.”

“Ah,” Danielle said knowingly, exchanging a wide-eyed look with Adam before she turned back to him. “Would you like me to find your queen for you, Your Majesty?”

He nodded as he finished the first glass of champagne. “Yes, I would.”

When Danielle walked off Max turned around to watch Aubert again. He was wearing a white tuxedo, which irritated Max into a near violent state. His mind was bombarded with how satisfying it would be to kill the French President and solve the problems in France once and for all. Max had over two hundred presidents working for him. Most were spoiled, prejudiced leaders who constantly pointed out the difference between Max’s way of running the government and his father’s making it clear they preferred his father. For Aubert to be at the top of Max’s long list of Presidents he disliked was truly amazing.

“Max, I think you need to take a few more pills to get you to the running.”

Max frowned at the French President, growling under his breath. “What is a black wolf doing wearing a white tuxedo? He just wants to stand out. Do you see me prancing around in a white tuxedo?”

“Your pills, Maxwell!”

“What are you growling at me about?” Max asked Adam as he turned his attention back to him.

“I was telling you take your pills,” Adam whispered under his breath. “Your eyes have gone straight silver.”

“Shit.” Max handed his empty glasses to Adam and dug into his pocket. “What am I going to do for three years?”

“I don’t know.” Adam sighed sympathetically. “There is obviously a reason why alpha pairs are usually only a year apart or twins. This was a side effect your father didn’t consider.”

“Big surprise,” Max snorted as he pulled the bottle out of his pocket and dumped several large pills into his hand. “My father didn’t consider a lot of things.”

“Your father isn’t all bad,” Adam said quietly. “I know a lot of his policies were wrong, but you need to find some patience for him. A beta isn’t meant to do the job of an alpha wolf. He did the best he could.”

“Fetch me a drink,” Max told him.

Adam found Max a glass of whiskey, which he infinitely appreciated. He took the pills and then closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. He opened them when he felt he had calmed himself to more normal levels.

“Are they normal again?”

Adam shook his head. “No, just take a few more deep breaths.”

“Did you see his white tux?” Max asked as he closed his eyes. “That’s dreadful. Tell me that’s not dreadful.”

“It’s pretty dreadful.”

Max smiled. “Makes you happy you’re descended from the summer alpha line, doesn’t it? Better a red wolf than a dense black wolf prancing around in white.”

“For more reasons than that. Red wolves are the best looking,” Adam told him lightly.

Max opened one eye to squint at him. “Are you insinuating you’re better looking than me?”

“Oh, no, Your Majesty.” Adam shook his head and smiled. “I would never do that.”

Max snorted, choking back a laugh. “Lies are bleeding off you.”

“Yes, well, red wolves are vain too,” Adam said, before his voice lifted in relief. “Look, Your Majesty, it’s your very average looking queen.”

Max rubbed at his eyes, laughing again. “Red wolves are apparently the most intelligent as well.”

“I could have told you that.” Adam snorted, before he said suavely, “Hello, Your Highness, you are looking very drab and plain this evening.”

Max laughed louder and lowered his hand to see Susie frowning at their cousin. “Thank you, Adam. You are equally ordinary and dull in appearance.”

“Don’t tell him that.” Max chuckled again. “He’s vain.”

“Gods, Max.” Susie gasped when she turned to him. “Your eyes have gone straight silver again. You look rogue.”

“Hell.” Max covered his eyes once more and leaned into his hand. “How am I going to last another two hours?”

“Can you find Serena and Katrina?” Susie asked Danielle politely. “I’m taking Max out to get some air.”

Max followed Susie blindly, his head lowered to keep others from noticing his eyes had flashed semi-permanently. Seeing him with unflashing silver eyes could make them nervous. Only rogues’ eyes stayed permanently in the more dominate hue of silver. Max wasn’t rogue, but he was certainly feeling far more primal and wolf-like than human at the moment. Dominant wolves had a tendency to kill those who threatened their authority and Aubert was in very real danger. He stood no chance against Max if should decide to kill him.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he made it to the outside and ripped at his bowtie in the warm spring air. “Gods, get it off!”

“Calm down,” Susie snapped at him. “Stop pawing at it and I’ll help you.”

Max let his hands drop to the side as Susie worked at undoing his tie.

“You’re flushed something terrible.”

“I’m melting.” Max wiped at his forehead that was dripping in sweat. “Literally melting right here on Aubert’s terrace. What a horrible place to die.”