Fox Play (7 page)

"Angel," I said. "If Lara thinks I have confirmed or denied any rumors, it will go very, very badly for me. Now please get out there. I did NOT confirm nor deny whatever it is you are so excited about."

"But you know," she said.

"Know what?" I asked.

"What's going on?"

"What is going on is that I am not invited to pack business, so I am going to go upstairs and relax until someone tells me it's over and I can come back outside. So please go outside looking vexed that I wouldn't tell you anything."

"Yes, Michaela," she said. "See you later."

They headed outside, and I plugged the ear buds in and searched for some palatable music. It was quite the search, then I found her section titled "retro" and was shocked it was music from when I was her age. Retro? I was not retro! Still, it was good music.

I played the music loudly enough that I couldn't hear anything from outside the house. Lara had ordered me not to eavesdrop. She might some day learn how good my hearing was, and I wanted to be able to honestly tell her I hadn't listened in.

I also didn't hear when a four-footed wolf entered the house and climbed the stairs. I had left the door partly ajar but had my eyes closed and was somewhat startled when I felt a cold wolf nose against my neck. I almost startled out of my skin, opening my eyes and leaping away from a grinning Gia in fur.

"You startled me!" I told her. "Am I being summoned?"

She chuffed and turned towards the door.

"Feet or fur?" I asked her.

She didn't answer.

"Gia, please. Feet or fur?"

She turned around, returned to my side, and gently took my hand, pulling me towards the door.

"Feet it is," I told her.

It was somewhat intimidating when I stepped out of the house and saw the assembled wolves, every single one in fur except for Lara. The bonfire was going, and she was standing before it, backlit. I stopped and stared at the assembled wolves, all of them looking at me expectantly. There was a clear path to Lara, and there was a circle of wolves flanking her to either side, Elisabeth to her immediate left, and a gap to her right.

Gia had paused briefly, allowing me a moment to take it all in, then she led the way through the assembled wolves, me following behind her.

I followed Gia right to the edge of the circle, perhaps four paces short of Lara. Gia turned to me for a moment, offered a wolfy smile, and stepped to the side, joining the other wolves. I turned back to face Lara.

"Alpha," I said. "I believe you requested my presence."

"Michaela Redfur, alpha fox of the Bayfield foxes, dearest friend of the Madison wolves, close personal friend to many wolves gathered here today, and rescuer of our young, I greet you."

The wolves howled a greeting. I hadn't been near that many howling wolves, and I was forced to cover my ears.

"All right, settle down," Lara said, grinning at them. "Our little fox is so delicate she seems to be damageable simply from our combined voice." There was chuffing at that.

"Thank you, Lara, alpha of the Madison wolves, my protector, my safety, my lover and best friend ever, I am very pleased to greet you." If she was going to engage in flowery speech, I could at least attempt to match her.

Lara looked around before speaking. "The Madison wolves have known of this little fox for some time, since shortly after she first moved into our territory, during the time of the previous alpha. She has lived near us but not amongst us for many years, offering respect during our encounters and displaying a care for our lands and waters like no other. We lived near each other, but we did not know each other, and we would not have called each other friends."

I nodded.

"That changed last summer," she said. "The pack requested your assistance, Michaela, and you offered your assistance along with the hand of friendship. I will never forget our first meeting in your home in Bayfield, and the immortal words."

She grinned. "Alpha, the dishes are in that cupboard."

The wolves chuffed in amusement.

"You were small, and frightened, and your history has taught you to be very wary around wolves, but you fed us a meal and you offered your hand, and that day was a turning point."

It was then I realized I was starting to cry, tears crawling slowly down my cheeks. I brushed them away.

"Since then, at significant risk to yourself, you have continued to help the pack, proving your loyalty and integrity far beyond any expectation. In spite of your diminutive size, you have been brave and strong, and I could not be more proud to have you in my life."

The pack began howling again, somewhat subdued from last time, but again I covered my ears. Whatever would it sound like if they were all here?

The howling turned into chuffing, which I could handle.

"Michaela, the Madison wolves wish to thank you for your friendship and loyalty." Then she stepped past me, and I turned to face her. "I ask you, my wolves, my pack, my friends, shall we set new history? Shall we invite this fox to our pack, to share both our responsibilities and our rewards? To hunt our lands, defend our young, and defeat our enemies? Who here would see this done?"

The wolves howled, and it was beyond deafening. I covered my ears, cringing, but Lara let them howl. She stepped to me and turned me, facing this way and that, and every wolf had nose to the air, howling in approval. She turned me to face the council, and they were also howling for me.

Then Lara held up a hand, and they quieted. I slowly lowered my hands from my ears. Lara walked around me, and I followed her with my head. "It appears, little fox, that the decision tonight is unanimous, or nearly so. One vote remains."

I looked around, wondering who hadn't voted, and Lara grinned. "We have not heard your vote, Michaela Redfur. What say you?"

I looked around, finding familiar wolf faces. I could barely see Angel and Scarlett. Janice was there, standing next to Francesca. Gia had melted into the crowd, and I didn't see her right away, but Eric and Rory were watching me. I turned to look at Elisabeth, and then finally to Lara.

"Yes, absolutely yes."

Again, the wolves went crazy with their howls, but Lara held up her hand immediately. "Let us save her ears for a moment or two, I think." She stepped up beside me. "Me first, then Elisabeth," she said quietly. I nodded understanding.

"Michaela Redfur, alpha fox of the Bayfield foxes, if you wish to henceforth be known as Michaela Redfur, omega fox of the Madison weres, show us your fox and your devotion."

"Omega?" I asked her quietly.

"Later," she said just as quietly.

I nodded, unbuttoning the top three buttons of my blouse. I stepped away from her, towards the right several paces, then in a blink I turned and dashed to her, leaping for her and shifting midair. My clothing fluttered off me, and Lara caught me in mid air, laughing. I had surprised her. She held me for a moment, showing me off. The pack chuffed their amusement. Lara set me down, and I immediately rolled onto my back, offering my neck.

Lara took her time, leaving me there at her feet, while she disrobed. Everyone was silent, and I waited patiently, looking up at her.

She was so beautiful.

Then she shifted, and her wolf stood over me, just as beautiful. She set a paw on my chest and slowly lowered her mouth around my throat. She held me like that, and I waited. She began increasing the pressure on my chest and on my throat, and when it was on the edge of painful, much tighter than I usually allowed, I whimpered softly.

The wolves all chuffed their pleasure. Lara released me, and I climbed to my feet, shaking out my fur. I looked towards Elisabeth, walking towards her, lowering my belly to the ground until I was stalking her. She stared at me, not moving, and then right in front of her, I rolled onto my back.

Elisabeth was more forceful than Lara had been. She lowered her chest to mine, pinning me firmly, almost uncomfortably, before wrapping her jaws over my throat. I whimpered nearly immediately, but she didn't release me until I whimpered again, more loudly.

Lara chuffed. I rolled onto my feet, and she looked pointedly at the ground next to her. I stepped into place and sat. Lara leaned against me, and then Elizabeth was on my other side, also leaning against me, then they both raised their noses to the air and began to howl in pleasure. The entire pack joined them.

And my hearing was protected by Lara and Elizabeth, each pressed against me, my delicate ears shielded with their thick bodies.

The howling went on and on, but finally Lara dropped her nose from the air, looking down at me still huddled between her and Elizabeth, and the wolves grew quiet. She licked me once, then yipped twice before dashing through the assembled wolves and into the forest, nearly every wolf following in pursuit. They were gone in seconds.

If I had been wolf, I am sure I would have been meant to follow, but I couldn't keep up. I looked over at Elizabeth then lay down in the grass, watching the woods.

We stayed like that for some time, the wolves making so much noise I presumed they wouldn't be expecting to catch any game tonight. Lara ran them east for a while, then I heard them double back. When they were still some distance out, Lara barked twice. I looked up at Elisabeth, and she leaned down with her nose and nudged me towards the woods.

I took off running towards Lara, Elisabeth beside me, keeping to my fox pace. I took us straight to Lara, then rolled over on my back in front of her. She licked my face and nudged me to get up, then set off through the woods at a pace a fox could bear. I ran along beside her.

Fleecing

"Time to get up, little fox of mine," Lara said gently. "How are your ears today?"

"Better," I said, stretching before cuddling back into her. "There are parts of me that are still a little sore."

"What parts are those?" she asked me playfully.

"The parts that got the most attention late last night," I replied. "Someone was insatiable."

Lara pulled me closer. "You don't know how happy you have made me."

"Did anyone else guess?"

"Angel and Scarlett split the prize money. It was significant."

We cuddled. "How much time do we have?"

"A little," she responded. "You're expected at the school again today."

"When are you going to tell me about tonight?"

"This afternoon sometime, I believe. I didn't tell you this, but you're going to visit the council again today."

I pulled away from her, looking at her. "Should I worry?"

"No."

"All right," I said. "Lara, what does omega mean? If alpha is first, and omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet-"

"No, that's not it," she said. "An omega wolf is outside the dominance structure. Rarely there are wolves who are neither dominant nor submissive. It's unusual. And sometimes we have deeply submissive wolves who excel at a job, such as being a doctor, where the wolf would need to give orders and be obeyed but a submissive wolf would be laughed at."

"Well," I said, and I moved until I lay on top of her. "I am feeling my own brand of dominance right now." I bent down and kissed her, then began trailing a line of kisses down her body.

"I thought you were sore," Lara said, squirming. "And you know I'm not going to let you stay on top."

"You could, you know. You might like it."

In response, she reared up. I pushed on her shoulders, trying to push her back onto the bed, but I didn't even slow her down. She wrapped her arms around me, shifted, and I immediately found myself underneath her. She pinned me in place with her body while she kissed me.

I didn't even struggle. Sometimes she liked it when I did, but she also liked it when I submitted to her. But when she broke the kiss I said, "I really am sore, Lara."

"Then what were you starting?"

"I don't mind if you're on top," I said. "But I want to taste you. Please."

She kissed me again then turned around, offering herself to me. I raised my head and began to lick, slowly.

She tasted divine.

* * * *

It was shortly after lunch that Gia retrieved me from the school. Like yesterday, I followed her to the second floor of the barracks and waited outside the conference room. My wait was brief, and when Elizabeth opened the door, I stepped inside.

"Lara didn't tell me what was going on or whether there are protocols for me to follow," I told Elisabeth.

"Be polite. You'll be fine."

She opened the inner door and I stepped inside.

The room looked the same as yesterday, but this time there was a seat waiting for me.

"Please sit, little fox of the Madison wolves." She said it with a smile. I took my seat and waited to see what they wanted.

"Michaela," Lara said. "What is discussed in these chambers must never be discussed with anyone else. Never. No exceptions. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"The pack has need of your services." She sat, looking at me, and her body language was unclear. So was Elisabeth's. I waited. She hadn't told me anything yet. "Michaela, we find ourselves in need of, well, it's not quite the right word, but it's what we have for words. We need a spy."

I stared at her.

"I have no training in such matters," I said. "You can certainly find a human mercenary who would serve far better than I would. Furthermore, I am deeply hampered by my inability to travel readily outside pack territory."

My mind started moving a million miles a minute, and the first thing I did was shut down my expressions. I made a conscious effort to sit very still in the chair, holding my hands calmly in my lap, and gazing casually at Lara. It took everything I had.

I didn't find it remotely coincidental they made the offer they had yesterday only to ask me to risk my life for the pack today. That wasn't remotely a coincidence. The only thing that wasn't clear was how long Lara had been planning this. Was our entire relationship a sham?

Could she be that good an actor?

She was the alpha. She could be good at anything. I didn't think the entire pack could, but I was sure everyone in this room could be acting when dealing with me.