Fox Revenge (Madison Wolves #5) (12 page)

He glanced over at Vivian, then back at me. I was smiling lightly. I didn't want to kill him, but I wasn't going to be pushed around by a bully, either.

Then he took two steps directly away from me. It took him another moment, but his fists unclenched and he shook himself.

"My apologies, Alpha," he said. "Vivian, thank you. Yes, you are right. I was out of line." He offered me a small bow. "I am sorry I was ugly."

"Your gracious apology is accepted," I said, taking my own steps backwards and visibly relaxing myself. "I hope there are no hard feelings."

"No," he said. "I didn't care
for how we learned the news, and it colored my judgment."

"I can understand that," I said, stepping back to my place. "Everything sort of sneaked up on us. I can understand your frustration. I can assure you, no slight was intended."

"I believe you, Alpha," he said. "Are you the only one who can teach this skill?"

"So far, that seems to be the case. But Brooke Bancroft shifts as fast as Lara and I do, so the ability to teach this may not be limited to our pack."

"Then you shall teach the members of the council," Christopher said.

"I am not sure I can," I said. "The evidence suggests there must be a certain bond between me and the person I am teaching. Understand that this is normally a skill a fox mother teaches to her young kits when they are a few days old."

"A few days?" Vivian asked. "Not years?"

"Days," I said.
"Or even sooner when the situation demands it."

"If a teenage girl can learn," Christopher said, "surely everyone here can."

"We do not know that is true," I said. "It may be harder to learn later in life. We don't know that yet. And are you suggesting that you see me as a mother figure, Councilor?"

"Elisabeth doesn't see you as a mother figure," he countered. "And I am sure Emanuel does not."

"No," I said. "I am sure he does not. Elisabeth however, loves me. Do you love me, Councilor?"

He looked away. Of course he didn't.

"Serena and Emanuel are also exceedingly grateful for the small role I played in returning their children to them. Even with that, I spent far more time teaching them than I did the others." I didn't explain that was because we had been experimenting.

"This is conjecture," he said. "You stated the evidence suggests this bond is needed. Have you fully tested it?"

"No," I said.

"Well then," he said. "You will teach me this skill."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No, sir, I will not."

"You will do what the council orders you to do!"

I smiled. "The council has not ordered me to do anything," I said. "You have. You are but one member of this council. I count fifteen people in the room. Furthermore, I believe the council exists to advise the alpha, not dictate to her."

I glanced at Lara. We had built a series of subtle gestures for each other. If she did anything with her right hand, it meant she thought I was doing the right thing. If she did anything with the left, it meant she wanted things left to her to handle. She was resting her chin on her right hand. I smiled briefly before turning back to Councilor West.

"The alpha will do as the council decides," he said to me.

"The alpha will carefully consider any advice the council may have," I replied. "I strongly urge the council to avoid any decisions that sound like orders. They don't work when she does it," I explained pointing to Lara. "Do you really think they're going to work for you?"

Christopher didn't have a response for that.

"Furthermore, I also urge the council to avoid suggesting I teach this skill to anyone I do not completely trust. You can guess what my response will be without even asking me."

"A pack whose alpha disregards the advice of her council is a pack in disarray," Ron Berg stated.

"True," I said. "I agree completely. A pack council that asks me to teach an important skill to someone who may later use that skill to challenge my mate is not a very wise council."

Elisabeth snickered quietly. I knew she agreed with me completely.

"Quite," said Vivian. "May we all agree on that point? I for one would not welcome any challenges to the current alpha."

I looked at her with gratitude.

"Second the motion," Elisabeth said instantly. "Call the vote, Alpha."

I turned to Lara. "She meant you that time, Lara," I said, smiling.

"I believe she did," Lara said. "But you were doing so well. Vivian, what are we voting on?"

Vivian started writing, crossing words out, then finally slid the pad of paper across the table to Lara. I leaned over her shoulder to read it. Lara made some changes and slid it back. Vivian glanced at them and nodded, returning it to Lara. Lara read it.

"The motion is this: the council will not encourage teaching the instant shift skill in any fashion that may lead to a destabil
ization of the pack leadership. Do we need to discuss this?"

"That is a rather vague resolution," Ron said.

"True," Lara agreed. "Did you want to change it?"

"No," he said. "Making an observation is all."

"One could argue the pack leadership has already been destabilized," Dominick stated. "We are all pack leadership. What prevents Serena or Emanuel from challenging one of us for our position on the council?"

"
Temperament," Elisabeth said immediately. "I can not vouch this will not change in the future, but I do not believe either of them currently has a single political aspiration."

"Angel might," I said. "But she knows she is young and inexperienced. By the time she might feel she is ready to be an asset to this council, it will be time for fresh blood, anyway."

"Scarlett wants to design houses," Elisabeth said. "As long as no one gets between her and her designs, we have nothing to fear from her."

"That's not entirely true," I said. "She will fiercely protect Angel,
me, Lara, Elisabeth, her family, and the pack in general. A threat to any of us would be met with strong opposition from either Angel or Scarlett."

"Agreed," said Lara. "That is a risk I happily suffer." She smiled. "There is no way Serena or Emanuel would ever do anything to hurt Michaela. Neither she nor I would ever be at risk from either of them. Nor do I feel either of them would challenge anyone on the council unless it was to protect me. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

No one said a thing. "Call the vote," Vivian said.

"All in favor of the motion?" Lara said. Every hand went up. "Motion carried."

And I had just won a political victory. I sat back down.

After that, the discussion turned towards what we were going to do. That fell into three categories: would I teach anyone else, would we do further experimentation to learn more about this skill, and what sort of secrecy would we maintain. I stayed out of it unless asked a question, as they weren't coming close to anything dangerous, so I didn't particularly care.
I zoned out.

I perked up when Violet said, "We must take careful steps this skill is not stolen from us."

I studied her carefully. So did everyone else in the room. Lara grew tense, and Elisabeth's focus turned from Violet to me.

"I agree," Dominick said. "The ability to learn this skill must not fall into another pack's hands."

That conversation went around the table. I looked over at Lara with dread, then leaned into her. "Are they going to have me killed?"

"Oh honey," she said. "No."

"Jailed?"

She tightened her lips.

"I won't put up with it, Lara. You know that. I won't. I will not let you put me in a cage."

She patted me. "Don't worry."

I listened to the conversation. They were using euphemisms, but they were talking about keeping me safe. Someone used the word secluded. "Stop this conversation or I will," I said to Lara.

"Everyone knows I am at times somewhat overprotective of my mate," Lara said. "Perhaps one should trust me to keep her safe."

"When she was your mate, we were happy with that," Ron said. "But the stakes have risen."

"I would never give out pack secrets," I stated.

"Everyone breaks if subjected to torture long enough," Vivian said.

"I agree," I said. "Unless they die first."

"A good torturer could keep you alive indefinitely," Ron said.

I laughed. "I'm sorry," I said after a moment. "I'm not trying to laugh at you." I began to roll up the sleeve on my right arm. I removed the knife and its sheath, then I leaned forward on the table. I looked at my arm and imagined a deep cut lengthwise up my forearm.

It took a moment before everyone noticed it. There were gasps, and Lara screamed at me, "What are you doing?"

I gestured with my nose to my arm. "It's a lot like healing," I said. "Only in reverse." Blood began dripping onto the table. "Is this a sufficient demonstration? I can stop my heart, but I worry it might be difficult to start it again."

They stared at my arm while I healed it. "It hurts," I said. "But I can do it again if you doubt me."

I looked around the room. "May we now end the conversation we were just having?"

Ron slipped a piece of paper to me. Vivian had another. I read them both. Ron wanted to propose the pack make every effort to keep the nature of how this skill is taught a complete secret. I didn't have a problem with that. "Ron, are you making a motion?"

"I am," he replied.

"I second it. Am I allowed to do that?"

"It wouldn't be customary," he said.

"Second," said Violet immediately. "If Ron and Michaela agree, I know I agree."

I smiled at her.

Vivian wanted to propose the pack take all due, reasonable caution for my personal safety.

I slid Ron's note to Lara, keeping Vivian's. "I vote yes," I told her.

Lara read the proclamation to herself then read it aloud. "Discussion?" No one said a word. She called the vote and the resolution passed unanimously. I put both hands up, figuring if I got two votes, that was even better. Lara smiled sweetly at me.

She reached for Vivian's note. I tried to keep it from her. "Michaela," she said in a low tone. Reluctantly I slid it to her. She turned to me. "You have a problem with this?"

"I will not live in a cage," I said firmly.

"That's not what I am suggesting," Vivian said.

"I will live as normal a life as reasonable," I said.

"That's all I ask," Vivian replied.

"You want me to be permanently surrounded by enforcers," I charged.

"Yes," she said. "I do."

I knew everyone in the room was going to vote yes on this. I just knew it. "I enjoy play nights when I am allowed to play," I said. "Following me around with four enforcers is going to cramp my style."

"We don't have the enforcers to assign four to her full time without significantly limiting her lifestyle," Elisabeth said. "People need to sleep."

"Hire more. Train more," Vivian said.

"With pack funds," Lara said immediately.

"Of course," said Vivian. "We are short on enforcers, anyway."

"Perhaps you should read the resolution to the rest of us," Ron said. "So we can properly join the conversation."

Lara read it.

"Do not call the vote, Lara," I told her. "Don't do it."

"Discussion?" Lara asked, ignoring me.

"I am responsible for my own safety," I said. "I accept a certain amount of help, but I think it's ridiculous. This is ridiculous. Furthermore, I do not care for the open-ended nature of this resolution. This could be encouragement to throw me in a cage or erect a barrier around the compound, forbidding me from crossing it. I will not live that way. Period."

"Is anyone opposed to keeping Michaela safe?" Lara asked. Of course, no one was. "Is anyone opposed to spending pack funds to bolster the number of enforcers, with some of them devoted to Michaela's safety?" No one was opposed to that, either.

"Do not call the vote, Lara," I said.

"As I read this resolution," Lara stated. "It means we enhance our security forces. It means we devote some resources to keeping the alpha safe. It means the alpha would make reasonable concessions to her security chief as required for her personal safety. Discussion?"

"That was my intention when I wrote it," Vivian said.

"Is Elisabeth my new security chief?" I asked.

"No," Elisabeth said. "I need to oversee both your security and Lara's. I have been serving too many duties
as head enforcer because we've been low on forces. So probably either Karen or Serena. I presume you would prefer a woman."

My heart was in my throat. "I already promised to behave, Lara," I said quietly.
"This isn't necessary. If we keep everything secret, I am at no more risk than I was a week ago."