Fox Play (16 page)

"Imagine my first years. Donald and I met at college. He tried to remain aloof from me, but I pursued him with, if you'll excuse a pun, dogged determination. He didn't stand a chance."

"How long had you known him before he told you about his furry side?"

She smiled. "We'd been dating for two years. He didn't tell me. I caught him."

"You caught him?"

"I screamed my head off, too. I had stopped by his house to surprise him -- this was after graduation. His parents' house, really. He was in the back yard just starting a shift, and I stared out the window while he shifted. When that huge wolf stood up, I began screaming. It didn't get better when he stared at me and got even worse when he came in the house. I was never more terrified."

"What happened?"

"He stalked me into a corner of the kitchen, me backing away and screaming my head off, then he rolled over onto his back and presented his belly to me. I learned later it was really his neck he was offering me. Then his mother rushed into the house; she had been running errands. She took in the tableau and calmly said, He won't hurt you."

"What a way to find out," I said.

"Oh, it gets better. Then Dorine, that's Donald's mother, picked up the phone and said simply, This is Dorine Lassiter. We have a breach. Then she hung up. Dorine offered me a drink, which I took happily, and told me I should rub the wolf's belly."

I laughed. "Did you?"

"Hell no. I told her maybe I should leave, and she told me, I'm sorry, dear, but you need to stay. I thought she was a total fruit loop if she thought I was staying, but she was, shall we say, rather insistent. Twenty minutes later, five more men, very, very, very large men stormed into the house. It was the old alpha and four enforcers. The alpha took in the situation and said simply, We'll take her with."

"Oh my."

"They tossed me into the back of a panel van. Oh, they were very gentle about it and made an attempt to be polite, but there was no doubt I was going with them. Dorine kept saying, Don't hurt her, she's a sweet girl, and Donald is hopelessly in love."

"I was, too," Donald added. "I was out of my mind with worry. Mom and I went along as well."

"The alpha talked to me. Told me werewolves were real. Told me he was a wolf. Told me they were everywhere, absolutely everywhere, and I would never know when I was talking to one, but that if I ever told anyone about them, a werewolf would be the last thing I ever saw."

I glared at Lara. She glanced over and shrugged, then turned away to continue her own conversation.

"Then he became very kind," she said. "He asked me how I felt about Donald. He asked me if I thought I could handle this. He told me there were advantages to being in love with a werewolf." She glanced at Donald. "I was already aware of some of those advantages."

Donald was the one who began blushing.

"Then he drove me home. I spent three days thinking about all of it."

"The hardest three days of my life," Donald said.

"And then on the fourth day, I called Dorine and invited myself to lunch. I told her I hoped I could meet the wolf that had so startled me."

"She spent lunchtime treating me like a dog," Donald said. "And talking calmly to my mother."

"Then I told him, Donald, just to be clear. I wear the pants in this relationship."

"So I rolled over and offered my throat again."

"And now we have our little nightly ritual, don't we dear?" She patted his hand.

"You're the dominant one in the relationship?" I asked her.

"Totally," David said.

I eyed Lara with a great deal of speculation. She turned to face me and said, "Don't even think about it. You know what happens when you try to turn the tables, little fox. Get used to it."

We grinned at each other.

Michele smiled. "What is it like to date the alpha, Michaela?"

"Challenging, Michele," I said. "Very challenging. She keeps thinking she's in charge."

"I heard that!" Lara said over her shoulder.

"See?"

* * * *

The boys were, to say the least, pleasantly surprised when we showed up with four teenage girls. The girls eyed them, then turned away dismissively. I knew the boys were in trouble. While I was watching the introductions, Elisabeth stepped up next to me.

"So, Michaela," she said in a calm tone. "Have you forgotten the lesson so quickly?"

I glanced over at her. "I don't know what you're asking." I didn't.

"I believe the words you used were 'bite me'. I am happy to oblige."

I laughed, but she looked serious. I stilled. "Are you mad at me for a little banter?"

"Not mad," she said. "Concerned. If there had suddenly been a real emergency, would you have kept your promise to follow my orders?"

I thought about it. "I'm making you worry about that?"

"Yes. And if you act like that in front of other wolves, you will force me to discipline you for it. I don't think that would be good for our relationship. Add to that, you embarrassed me in front of Greg's wolves."

"I'm sorry. I'll try to hold back the banter."

"Only when it's about security or how I do my job. We're friends, Michaela, and I enjoy bantering with you most of the time. Just not in a way that looks like you are undermining my authority. That tends to be catchy."

I considered it. "I'm sorry. I can't promise it won't happen again, especially when I'm nervous. I was put out by the change of plans, and whenever I get put out, I try to find ways to take control back. But if in the future you need to publicly discipline me, please don't hit me."

"I couldn't have disciplined you properly with all the humans around, Michaela. I can now, but delayed discipline is usually much harsher than something that can be done right away. You understand."

"What are you going to do?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"Nothing, this time," she said. "But if there is a next time, you will crawl away from it feeling exceedingly humiliated. I think it would destroy our friendship, and I would hate that. But if I don't, then the effects will ripple throughout the pack. Eventually I will start receiving challenges. I don't think you want any of this, Michaela."

"I'm so sorry, Elisabeth."

She smiled. "Forgiven." She pulled me into a hug, holding it long enough I knew we were okay with each other.

After that, we had a lovely picnic and announced the afternoon activities. "Our little fox is taking us kayaking."

Michele tried to beg off. "I couldn't keep up, after all," but we offered her a seat in one of the speedboats so she could still hang out with us. We used all three boats to transfer everyone back to Bayfield. Benny had been warned, and he already had boats waiting for us. He was tickled pink; it was actually early in the season, and he wouldn't normally have more than the occasional rental yet.

Once the boats were in the water, Lara stated clearly, "Michaela is in charge. We will do what she says. Period." She looked specifically at Rory when she said it.

The first question I asked was, "Who would say they have significant kayaking experience?" I raised my hand as did two of Greg's people, Aaron and Rebecca. I asked them how much, and they each had more than I did.

"Do either of you want to run the safety seminar?" I asked.

"Nope. Just let us know if you want us to help demonstrate."

"How about if one of you tests out the advanced beginnings and the other helps me with the raw recruits?"

"I'll help with recruits," Rebecca said.

"Elizabeth, can you help as well? Angel, I know you know this stuff, but please demonstrate with Aaron. It's been six months, and you might be rusty."

"Will you teach me an Eskimo roll, Michaela?" she asked.

"Sure, when we get a break." She nodded, appeased.

I made sure everyone know all the procedures. Some of the advanced beginners had a little trouble, but Aaron and Angel got them straightened out. Soon we were paddling the waterfront, and everyone got in the groove. And after that, we were off to explore the Apostle Islands.

I kept an eye on the boys. I was worried they would act up to impress the girls. When I asked Lara about it, however, she told me, "Elisabeth already had a chat with them. But if they act up, you don't need to worry about it. Either their parents will deal with it or Elisabeth will."

It was the little fox that slowed everyone down, although Francesca seemed happy with my pace. I warned Aaron and Rebecca about the open water if we went too far north, but otherwise told them to feel free to give folks a real workout. The two of them organized a series of competitions that soon brought out the competitive spirit amongst the wolves.

Angel and Scarlett stayed together, avoiding the competition. The two paddled over to me. "Eskimo roll?" Angel said.

"I've never taught it before, Angel, but I can try. If I can't teach you, maybe Aaron or Rebecca can."

I actually had to do one a couple of times myself. For me, it was so automatic. In nice weather, I sometimes tip my kayak intentionally just so I can cool off for a minute, then roll back upright. It's not something I could do slowly, so it took a couple of tries to work through it for myself.

"All right," I said. "But I want all three of you to practice assisted recoveries first."

"All three?" Lara asked.

"If they both tip," I said. "I'd rather have you pulling them upright than me. Ms. Mountain."

She laughed.

So the three of them each tipped twice and asked for an assist upright, and thus each of them helped upright each of the others as well. They were fine.

"All right," I said. "Once you tip, you may try to upright as many times as you want, but remember it will take several seconds to ask for an assist, so don't get too stubborn. You can always get pulled upright and catch your breath for several minutes before you try again. And if you don't get an assist in the time you need, bail out and pop up. We'll get you back in your boats."

And then I explained the procedure, as clearly as I could. It's actually not hard to do, but it was really hard to explain. The idea is that you use your body and your paddle to pull the kayak under you, popping out of the water again.

Angel wanted to try first. She gave it a good, solid five tries before reaching up and tapping the side of her kayak several times, then holding her arm there until Lara paddled into place and pulled her upright. She sat in her boat, panting hard, then turned to me. "That's not easy!"

"You'll get it," I said. "Scarlett, did you want to try?"

"Yes, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do it."

"If humans can do it, you can do it, Scarlett." She grinned at that and flipped her boat.

She tried twice before asking for assistance. Lara pulled her upright, and Scarlett was sputtering.

"Sorry," she said after catching her breath. "I started to panic. I'm fine. I'll try again after the alpha."

"You're really going to make me do this," Lara said.

"Anything I can do, Lara, you can do better."

She laughed. "Damned straight." She flipped her kayak.

She was stubborn. Very stubborn. "Be ready to help her, Angel," I said. Lara tried it over and over, seven tries in total, before she tapped the bottom of her kayak, asking for an assist. Angel dug a paddle in, was beside her in seconds, and pulled her upright.

Lara gasped for air then looked at me. "You made it look easy."

"It is, but there's a trick, and I don't know how to teach it."

"I'd like to try again," Angel said.

"Then me," said Scarlett.

Angel flipped over. I could tell she was close, but I couldn't tell what she was doing wrong. She was close twice, but both times she tipped back upside down. Scarlett helped her upright when Angel gave up.

By the time Scarlett gave up, Rebecca had paddled over, and it was she who pulled Scarlett upright.

"How did you explain it?"

"I know I'm teaching it wrong." I went through it.

"Ah," she said. She explained it in her own words, and she also knew the mistakes people make. She explained those.

Lara nodded and immediately flipped. Six tries later, Rebecca gave her an assist.

Lara sighed, panting.

Angel flipped, and on her third try, she came fully upright.

"I did it!" She began pumping her fist with a great deal of exuberance. "I did it! I did it!" and she flipped.

It took her two tries again, but she popped back up. She was sputtering, but she waved her fist. "I did it!" she howled, and suddenly the lake was full of wolf howls.

The rest of the wolves clustered around. "Mom! Look!" Angel flipped and popped upright immediately.

Scarlett took a deep breath and flipped her kayak. She gave it four tries, and I was sure she was going to ask for help. She hung upside down for a good ten seconds, and I was about to go in after her, when suddenly she popped upright. She had a look of joy, and Lara led the wolves in a howl for it.

"Catch your breath and do it a few more times," I told her. "It will help fix things in your head."

She nodded, panting. And all eyes turned to Lara.

"Your sister can do it," I said.

"And I can do it," said Angel.

"And me!" said Scarlett.

"Not to mention the little fox," said Elisabeth.

"But no pressure," I told her.

And then we watched alpha stubbornness. And on her eighth attempt, she popped upright like it had been nothing.

I howled for her. Everyone turned to me, and Elisabeth said, "What the hell was that, fox?"

I hung my head. "Can't blame me for trying."

I made them practice a few more times, then I said, "New contest! Those of you who can do the roll, cluster around, give yourselves some room. We're going to see who can flip upright fastest. We need three judges." I looked around. "Derek, Alan and Jeremy. Spread yourselves around us and make sure you can see all of us."

We got into place, and I told Derek, "Call it three-two-one-flip. First one back fully upright and settled is the winner."

"Ready?" he said. "Three-two-one-flip!"

We all went over. I popped upright as fast as I could, but I felt like Aaron and Rebecca were both faster. But I looked around after I was fully settled, and all of us had done it the first time.