Wolf Women (The Madison Wolves Book 10) (12 page)

She nodded, so we moved back to the living room. Portia and I sat down, and then Ember curled up on the sofa again, her head back in my lap. "Is this all right?" And she captured my hand.

"Yes, Ember."

I looked over at Portia. My heart was breaking for the girl.

"You know," Portia said, "we could have a slumber party."

"We could?" Ember said immediately. "Really?"

"Sure. We'll make space right here and make little nests right on the floor. Ember, why don't you run home and get your toothbrush and pajamas."

"All right!" she said. She popped up and was out of the house seconds later.

"Thank you," I said, once the girl was gone. "My heart is breaking for her."

"I know. Zoe, I like having the young ones around, too. I don't want twenty at a time, but five or six is fine. After that, and they get a little squirrelly."

"They can get squirrelly with two."

"Yeah, but it grows exponentially."

I laughed. "I suppose it does. Do you want to make our nest while I clean up?"

"I'm going to make sure the right people know she's here tonight, too."

I moved around the room, collecting the detritus, then headed to the kitchen. A few minutes later I heard Ember return, and then I heard Portia ask her to help. I thought I heard the girl ask which side was mine.

"All right," Portia said to her. "Go brush your teeth and put your pajamas on. You can use the bathroom down here. We can all settle in and maybe tell stories for a little while, but it's late, and I've had a long day."

Ember headed for the bathroom, and I heard the door close, and then Portia entered the kitchen. She moved up beside me and grabbed the towel for drying dishes.

"You're very sweet," I said.

"Because I help with the dishes."

"That's not why, and you know it." I paused then lowered my voice. "She seems awfully well adjusted, given her background."

"I know. She was a little out of control when she got here, but the enforcers took the edges off of her."

"Who did you tell she was staying?"

"I texted Michaela. She texted back that she'd take care of it from there."

I nodded. I was starting to forget why I had been so afraid before. Michaela worried about everyone, and she watched over all of us besides.

"How did Michaela have time to spend with me when she's busying mothering half the people here?"

"She doesn't stop," Portia said. "There's not an enforcer on the compound who wouldn't trade their lives to protect her, and most of the students would be right next to us."

Then the bathroom door opened, and I hurried to finish the clean up.

* * * *

Fifteen minutes later found all of us back in the living room, pajama-clad and teeth brushed. Faces were washed and bodies were ready for bed.

Portia had made up two beds, and I realized she'd used camping pads with blankets on top of them. We slipped into our beds, and then Ember moved closer to me. I lay cuddled and spooned with Portia while I stared into Ember's eyes, not that far away. Her hand slipped over and looked for mine, so I gave it to her. She smiled at me. "Thank you," she mouthed, and I nodded.

"All right," Portia said. "Story time. Everyone has to tell one embarrassing story about herself."

"Oh no," I said.

"Oh yes," she said. "We'll go youngest to oldest, so you're first, Ember."

"Do I have to?" she asked.

"Yep. But we're all going to tell one, so just remember that when we're laughing at your story, you're going to get to laugh at Zoe-the-human's story and Portia-the-enforcer's story. I bet that's worth letting us laugh at yours."

The girl laughed. "I suppose it is." She closed her eyes for a minute, then began to tell her story.

Over the next several minutes, we each told an embarrassing story, inducing chuckles and a few outright laughs.

"All right, now one of the rules is that you don't share these stories with anyone else," Portia declared. "We're all trusting each other here."

"All right, Portia," Ember said. "But does that mean we can't tease each other?"

"It doesn't mean that at all, but you can't let yourself be forced to give the story away. So be careful."

I wondered what she was doing, but I didn't ask.

"Now, we're each going to tell a happy story. This time, I'll go first, Ember second, and Zoe third." She told the story of how she'd become a member of the pack. Ember followed Portia's lead and talked about being accepted at the school.

As they knew how I had become a member, I talked about a family vacation when I was younger.

"Okay, last story, then we can talk very quietly, but it's late, and we need to sleep. Zoe is first; I'm second; Ember is third. This story is from our future."

"I don't understand," Ember said.

"Something you want to happen in your life," Portia explained. "Pick something important to you and tell the story."

I felt put on the spot, but then I thought of something that wasn't quite so personal. "I am going to start a company," I said. "Well, according to the rules of the story, I have to assume it's true, that it will happen, right?"

"Right," said Portia.

"All right. I will need help, but I am going to start a company. I'll find investors. And I'm going to build a wind farm."

"You can farm wind?" Ember asked.

"You generate electricity, like Lara and Michaela do with the generator in Bayfield." I paused. "Or I might farm sunlight instead. I'm going to find a way to make more money, and I'm going to put some of it into the farm. And I'll sell stock to attract investors. We'll take all the money and build the farm. It might start small, but we'll reinvest the earnings. Five years from now, I'll have rows and rows of solar sells. Or wind turbines. I'm not quite sure yet."

"That's cool," Ember said. "Maybe you'd let me help. I bet all those solar cells need frequent washing."

I laughed. "I'd love to have your help. Your turn, Portia."

"I have a question first. Will you let me invest?"

"You won't get any money back for a long, long time. We're going to reinvest everything we make for at least twenty years."

"That's fine. I'll consider it a long-term investment. All right. I think you both know I want to build a house. I'm going to start over. Until I moved here, I never set roots down anywhere. Growing up, Mom and I moved from army base to army base; we were never posted anywhere for more than three years, and shorter was more common. Then I joined the army, and it was even worse. After that, I took a job doing security, and then I really moved everywhere. I never had roots until I moved here. But I find myself driven to set down roots, deep roots."

She hugged me before continuing.

"I didn't know there would be a woman involved. I sort of thought I would be alone, just happy to have a job. So this house was fine. But now that I have Zoe, I want a family. I want children. Zoe and I haven't talked about it, so I don't want to get too far ahead. But I want a house. A big house. Not huge, but a good one for the kids here to come over."

"Slumber parties?" Ember asked.

"Yes. Slumber parties. So we're going to talk to the alphas this weekend, Zoe. Please, I hope that's all right."

"It is." I kissed her hand.

"We're going to pick the location. I want it in the trees a little, but close. I want a little room, if the alpha will let me have it. There are places, but she may not want houses there. If not, then anywhere is fine. I want a kitchen that's big enough to cook in together. Maybe even two stoves, and big, stainless steel vent hoods over them so if I'm cooking something Zoe can't stand, it's all right. And lots of bedrooms."

Her story made me all gooey.

"Are we going to adopt?"

"We might," she said. "But I want to see you pregnant."

"Me? Pregnant. I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"I'm too old, Portia, and if I'm too old, you're certainly too old."

"Nonsense."

"The chance of birth defects increases dramatically after forty, at least in a human. Maybe not for a wolf. You can get pregnant if you want."

"Zoe," Portia said. "If you have wolf pups, they can't have defects. You can safely have babies as long as you're healthy, until menopause, anyway."

"I can?"

"Yes."

I thought about it and grew quiet.

"All right, Ember," Portia said after a minute. "It's your turn."

"Mine is stupid."

"No judgments," Portia said. "Tell us."

"I-" she paused. "I always wanted a little brother or sister. So when you have your kids, my fantasy is that you'll let me call them my little brothers and sisters. I told you, it's stupid."

"It's not stupid," I said. "Maybe you can be their big sister, but there's a human custom. I wonder if wolves do it."

"What custom?"

"Humans have god parents. It's a religious thing. I'm not religious, and I don't think you guys are, either."

"You mean, like going to church and stuff?" Ember asked. "No."

"But you could still be like a wolf sister. Or something. I don't know what we'd call it. But we can make the rules, and if you want to be their big sister, you can. But you know, big sisters have to help."

"I'd help!" she said. "I'd even change diapers. And babysit."

"Big sisters babysit for free," Portia said.

"I don't care," the girl said. She squeezed my hands, and I could see her smile.

"Well then," Portia said. "It seems like we all have dreams, and we can help each other. Now, it's time to sleep, so I'm going to tell you both a bedtime story. Get comfortable and close your eyes.

We didn't get time to visit with the alphas over the weekend. Everything was a whirlwind, and timing didn't work out.

But Tuesday night, Portia and I were just about ready to head to bed a little early when her phone went off. She glanced at it. "Lara and Michaela want to talk to us. They want to know if now is a good time. They'll come here."

"Sure," I said.

She called Lara, spoke just a few sentences, and hung up. "I'll put on the tea."

It only took a few minutes before there was a knock at the door. I answered, finding both alphas as well as Elisabeth. They stepped in.

"We're sorry for the intrusion," Michaela said. "I didn't want to let this wait."

"Quite all right," I said. "Come in. Portia is making tea."

"Portia is done making tea," my mate said from behind me. "We can talk in the living room."

They took the sofa; Portia and I got the easy chairs. The tea was brewing, so we made small talk while we were waiting. Finally it was ready, and I poured five cups, passing them out.

"All right," Michaela said. "I'll get right to it. Ember talked to me this afternoon."

"Oh?"

"She asked for a favor. She wants to move in with you."

I turned towards Portia to see her reaction. She was watching me. Slowly she said, "The house is small, and we converted the spare bedroom into an office. Zoe needs an office. There's a room down here, but it's not a legal bedroom, and it's too small for Zoe's office."

"I explained to Ember that you were newly mated and may not be ready to have a fourteen-year-old living with you. Plus I wasn't sure about asking an enforcer to foster any of my students, and said I would have to talk to Lara." She paused. "I can tell her Lara and I weren't comfortable with it."

"No!" I blurted. I turned back to Portia, and I knew my look told her what I wanted. She studied me.

"Maybe when we build the house," she said slowly.

"If you don't want an intrusion," I said, "or if you don't like Ember-"

She interrupted me. "Zoe, you've had a turbulent several months. How many times have you had to move your office? Now you want to have no office at all?"

"I can use the basement."

"No," she said. "It's unfinished, and there's no sunlight down there."

"If you know how to build an entire house, you must know how to make a room," I said. "Could you make a room for me?"

"Well, yeah, but it will be like a dungeon. You're an artist. You can't work in a space like that."

I smiled. "Is that your only objection? If we had a bigger house, would you want her?"

"Yes. For you, if nothing else, but I think I'd like having her here. But you know: I'm not going to turn into a hermit. Wolves aren't bothered by issues of sex, and I don't have the slightest compunction about having sex, really loud sex, with a teenage girl in the house."

I thought about it. "If you make the space, it won't be a dungeon. Trust me. I'll need a little money though."

"What will you do?"

I smiled. "Trust me."

"The pack will fund the cost," Lara said. "We're talking a little drywall, a little lumber, and I presume some lighting."

"And maybe a few hundred dollars so it's not a dungeon," I said. "Portia, there's room. You don't use the basement for more than storage. There's that entire huge room, and you're not using it. We can divide it."

I looked down. "But if you don't want to share the house, I understand. And I don't know how to feed her."

"She knows how to feed herself," Michaela said. "I mentioned that, and she said she can add to the things you make. She said she'd handle meals for her and Portia."

I kept my eyes lowered and waited for Portia to decide.

"Zoe, are you sure?" Portia asked.

"If you do this, you have to stick to it," Michaela said. "I won't have her rejected again. Her mother dumped her. Then her uncle's relief at getting rid of her was palpable. I think she would have seen me as a mother figure, but when she got here, she was a handful. That's been taken care of, but I'm an authority figure, and there isn't really the basis for the sort of warmth she needs."

"She's a good kid," I said. "Isn't she? It's not an act, is it?"

"She's a good kid," Elisabeth said. "She needs guidance, but she does the right things."

I glanced up at Portia. She was watching me.

"Alpha," Portia said finally, "I'm sorry. I am willing to do a trial run. I cannot commit to a permanent arrangement until I see how this is going. I must think first of my mate, and she has been through so many changes. She is still learning what it means to be a member of a wolf pack. She is still learning what it means to be mated to a dominant wolf. She wants to do this, and I find I do as well, but it may be too much stress."

"It won't be," I said.

"I have made my decision," Portia said. "We can do a trial. If the alpha will not approve a trial, then we can revisit the question next summer when we have a larger home and you've had more time to settle in."

I looked up. "You have made your decision?" I asked.

"Yes."

I thought she was being heavy handed, but I realized that we both had to be comfortable with this. She was comfortable with a trial run. So I nodded.

"A trial," said Michaela. "Do the two of you want to sit on this?"

Portia paused, then said, "Our answer won't change."

"I suppose a trial is better than saddling you with a child if it's not working out. All right. Elisabeth, we need Ember here."

"I'll retrieve her myself."

I looked up at Portia. There were tears in my eyes. I didn't know what to say.

Elisabeth was gone about ten minutes. Portia and Lara talked about the new house, speaking in codes I didn't understand. Finally Michaela spoke up.

"If we give you as much land as you are requesting, and you build a house like you have discussed, then I presume you will also consider more fosters in your home."

"Yes," Portia said. "But we need to see how it goes with one first."

"Then you will have my blessing in the spring," Michaela said. I looked at her. She smiled. "Consider it a little extra incentive." She turned to Lara. "They may plan a location and a building, but if it doesn't work with Ember, then I presume it won't work with other fosters. In that case, a house larger than Elisabeth's is inappropriate."

"She's right, Portia," Lara said.

"I wouldn't have considered the house I'm describing, but my mate is already inviting your students into our home, Michaela. I believe it is going to grow. I agree to your stipulations. They are well considered."

A minute later, Elisabeth returned, pushing Ember in front of her. The girl looked at all of us assembled. I'm sure my expression and body language didn't help. But I looked at her, and my heart went out to her.

"Come here, Ember," I said. I stood up and held my arms open. She ran into a hug.

"We have been discussing your situation," Michaela said. "Portia and Zoe have asked if you would like to move into this home. However, I am concerned because Zoe is a new pack member, and she is still settling in. And she and Portia are newly mated. There are concerns, adult concerns we do not care to discuss with you. I want to see if the arrangement can work, and so I have approved a trial run."

I thought it was interesting she turned it around. It wasn't our hesitation; it was hers.

"A trial run? I get to live here?"

"Yes," I said.

"But I will be watching carefully," Michaela said. "And if it isn't working out, then I won't allow this to continue."

Ember heard that, but then turned back to look at me, then at Portia. "You would be like my moms?"

"Yes, honey. We would be your foster mothers," I said.

She stared, then she burst into tears and threw herself into my arms again. A moment later, Portia was there, too, and the two of us held her while she sobbed. Through it all, she said, "I'll be good! I'll help around the house and won't make any messes. I'll help cook and do anything else you need me to do."

"We'll discuss all that," Portia said. "You will obey both Zoe and me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Portia. I'll be good. I promise."

And I knew she would be.

"They have to make a room ready for you," Michaela said. "It might be a couple of weeks before you can move in."

"Portia," I said. "We can move my things downstairs immediately. I can make it work, if you don't mind if I do my computer work in the living room."

"Alpha," said Portia immediately. "If I could presume to make use of my alpha wolf and her head enforcer, we could have Ember's new bedroom available in a jiffy."

"Of course," Michaela said. "Perhaps just this once I could walk across the compound with Ember and Zoe for protection, and we could collect the things she needs most immediately. She could recruit her friends to help her finish moving tomorrow."

"I get to move in tonight?" she asked. "Really?" And then she was crying again, and turned to Michaela for a hug, but then was back in my arms. I held her tightly.

I have no idea how anyone felt allowing Michaela to walk without an enforcer to guard her, but finally Elisabeth said, "Of course. We'll get everything ready here."

Michaela didn't wait for more permission than that. She had Ember and me out the door in seconds. Then, our arms around each other with Ember in the middle, we began walking towards the barracks.

"Ah," said Michaela. "A walk without someone hovering over me. Do you know when the last time was they gave me permission to walk anywhere without an enforcer?"

"I recall a visit to my apartment."

"Ah, but that wasn't with permission. The last time with permission was... hmm. Actually, it wasn't a good experience. I nearly got killed."

"What?" I asked.

"Vampires."

"Vampires are real, too?" I squeaked.

"Believe me, I was just as surprised," she said. "Vampires and fae-"

"Fae?"

"Elves."

"Elves?" I squeaked. "Really? Do you know any? Could I meet them? Do they have pointy ears?"

Michaela laughed. "I know only one. She lives in New Orleans. If an opportunity presents itself, I will happily introduce you. She looked quite human the times I have seen her, but I understand she is able to alter her appearance, so it may be her birth form has pointed ears. I never asked."

"What else exists?"

"Witches. There are several minor witches living in Wisconsin. Their abilities are somewhat limited. There is one major witch who moved to Madison about five years ago. She leaves us alone; we leave her alone. I've never met her, although Elisabeth paid a visit to her shortly after we knew of her, just a sort of 'Welcome to Wisconsin, don't do anything to threaten the pack' visit."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Oh, and there are other types of shape shifters. The wolves and I are the only major predators living in Wisconsin, but there's a family of were beavers-"

"Beavers?"

She laughed. "Yes. There are also a few different types of were cats in the world, but none in Wisconsin. Wolves are by far the most common were, but were pumas are far more common than foxes. There are also tigers and jaguars. Oh, and were bears."

"Bears? Really?"

"They are uncommon."

"Ghosts? Ghouls?"

"If so, I don't know of them," Michaela said.

By then, we had reached the barracks. I hesitated at the door; I didn't care for this building. But for Ember's sake, I finally followed the two of them inside.

"Are you all right?" Michaela asked me quietly as we followed Ember up the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The building wasn't like a barracks you see in the movies. It was more like an apartment building, although the center corridor was open to the second floor. There were doors on either side. About half of them had some sort of sign on them indicating what they were for. I saw two bathrooms, one for each gender, and signs with various names on them.

"Someone is going to be happy when you build your new home," Michaela said. "Your current home is a good starter home."

"I don't quite understand."

"One of the enforcers, or perhaps a couple together, will buy it. There is a waiting list."

"I still don't understand. If they have the money, and there is the space, and people want them, why not build them? Is it an environmental thing?"

"No. But building a house is a lot of work and takes a great deal of commitment. The enforcers have been overworked. They haven't had the time to build anything, and some of them don't have that vision. But Lara and I agree we aren't going to build tract houses. We want the homes to have meaning, which means you build them yourselves."

It didn't entirely make sense to me, but there was so much that I didn't understand, so I let it go.