Destiny and Deception by Shannon Delany Read Free Book Online

pristine swath of white. Damn. He was right. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
    “Let me guess,” he said slowly. “Right now the question on your mind is: ‘When must Dad be at work—afternoon or night shift? When does that mean he’ll have plowed the driveway?’ Are you racking your brain remembering?” he teased.
    I turned and spoke through a clenched jaw. “Yes, Dad.”
    “Night shift.”
    Something buzzed inside me like electricity at the idea of spending an entire day away from Pietr because of snow. It wasn’t fair. I wanted to spend time with Pietr— needed to spend time with Pietr—especially on the day of the first real snow of winter.… I’d promised we’d do so much during winter the night he’d lain dying after the gun fight when they’d tried unsuccessfully to free Mother.
    And now winter was here, proven by snowfall, and I was stuck. And frustrated. In every sense of the word.
    I never used to need anyone like I needed Pietr. I hadn’t dated many guys, and the ones I had never affected me the way Pietr did. I wanted to be with him. Already. Darn the fact I’d never paid attention to Dad’s occasional attempts at giving me a snowplow tutorial. The easiest way to avoid a chore on the farm (and I did plenty of chores already) was to be ignorant or incompetent. Who would’ve guessed it’d finally prove to be a real disadvantage?
    Dad set down his mug. “I’ll call Wanda.”
    For once I didn’t inwardly cringe at the mention of her name. She’d been a dangerous and daunting figure—a member of a group parading as the CIA but with a much darker agenda. But she’d become more deeply involved with my father than any of us could have ever expected. They loved each other.
    And love—even a love I still found creepy because it involved my father and a gun-toting research librarian—seemed to have helped her see the light and make the break away from the company that had employed her and tried to imprison the Rusakovas so they could be used as lab rats.
    “I’ll have her see if the roads look clear out her way. And I’ll plow as soon as I’m off the phone with her. If it’s safe, you can go,” he assured me.
    I ran to him, wrapping him in a grateful hug.
    Annabelle Lee rolled her eyes.
    Sticking my tongue out in return, I busied myself with the dishes while Dad took the phone, put on his coat, and stepped onto the porch for a little privacy. I tried not to stand close to the little space where our coats and boots rested—the spot between the kitchen and the front door that was much more mudroom than foyer. I wanted to know what Dad said to Wanda nearly as much as I didn’t want to know.
    Nearly .
    He was done in nine minutes. Odd how now that Pietr had seemed to lose his sense of timing, mine sharpened—at least when it came to the amount of time Dad and Wanda spent chatting.
    He glanced from me to the empty dish rack and nodded approval. “Says the roads look pretty good. So I’ll plow. I’ll even drop you off if Max or Alexi can bring you home. Sound like a plan?”
    “It sounds like an excellent plan!”
    As soon as he was bundled up and out the door to plow, I got on the phone to Max, making plans for a ride home.
    Marlaena
    My stretch ended in a yowl and a yawn, and still fully furred, I peered over Gareth’s healed-up shoulder and toward the mouth of the cave. Gabe’s head on my hip, he twitched in his sleep, one paw flicking as he dreamed of … rabbits? Redheaded women? I slid free of them both and padded to the small opening, ducking my head to look outside.
    Snowflakes skittered across the lip of the cave, and outside the world was white and thick with a fresh winter coat. Pure and beautiful.
    As unstained as a virgin bride.
    If I didn’t ruin it, someone else would. And I liked to leave my mark.
    I trotted out and took a piss, only returning to flop down on the furry pile of my packmates after I’d fouled up perfection.

CHAPTER FIVE
    Jessie
    Snow fell in wet clumps,