Fox Mate (Madison Wolves)

by Robin Roseau

  The three of us walked to the bathroom together. "Lara," I said. "Make sure there's nothing in there that will frighten you if I touch it."

  "There isn't," she said. "We already cleared it out. But there's the mirror in here, and the back of the toilet, and we're not sure what else you could use to make mischief. We also don't trust we got all your knives."

  I smiled. "You didn't. Scarlett, take the top off the toilet tank." Scarlett stepped over, removed the tank lid, and set it on the seat. "See the ball thing in there, that floats in the water? Unscrew it from the metal arm thing, but hold the metal arm thing up or the tank will start to fill and overflow."

  Scarlett unscrewed the plastic ball. "Now what?"

  "Hand it to Lara."

  Lara reached out a hand and took it.

  "Is it filled with silver?" she asked.

  "Damn, I didn't think of that," I said. "No. It's in two parts. It unscrews."

  "These don't usually come as two parts."

  "I know. Hold it over the sink."

  She figured out how to unscrew the ball, and the small silvered blade fell into the sink

  "Oh for crying out loud, Michaela."

  "I know. Pretty sad, huh? Screw that back together and give it to Scarlett." She did, and Scarlett screwed the ball back in place.

  "Anything else while I'm here?" She was grinning at me.

  "No, not there," I said.

  Lara reached in to grab the knife from the sink.

  "No!"

  As soon as she touched it, she dropped it.

  "Shit!" she said. "Silver."

  "Of course," I said. "Not much good otherwise."

  She stared at it. "How were you going to use it?"

  "If I were so desperate I needed that one, I bet I was willing to burn my hand to use it," I told her. I reached past Lara before she could react and picked up the blade. It immediately began burning my hand. "See?"

  "Michaela!" Lara screamed.

  "Oh, relax," I said. I walked out into the other room and set the blade down on the dresser, then blew on my hand. There was a white outline of the silver blade etched into my hand. Lara took me by the wrist, pulled me away from the blade, and stared at my hand.

  "What's wrong with you?" she asked.

  "I'm fine. I think I'll go wash this though, if you don't mind."

  The two of them chased after me as I went back into the bathroom.

  "Hmm. One more." Before Lara could react, I dropped to the floor and scootched up with my back against the wall, climbing underneath one of the two pedestal sinks. I reached up inside the hollow bottom of the sink, felt around, and then my fingers started to burn. I pulled the piece of silver out and tossed it out into the bedroom.

  "Stop it, Michaela!" Lara yelled.

  "That was the last one," I said. "Help me up." I gave her my unburned hand, and she lifted me to my feet. "Have Elisabeth come get those two, warn her they're both silver." I turned to the sink and started scrubbing any vestiges of silver out of the folds of my hand. It hurt like crazy, and I winced, but soon it was over.

  Lara grabbed my hand and stared at it.

  "Relax," I said. "Once I'm in the shower, I'm going to shift. I'll be fine."

  "You don't heal when you shift."

  I smiled. "That's the old Michaela. This little burn will be gone."

  "It's a silver burn."

  "Silver is bad for me but it appears not as bad as for a wolf."

  Lara searched my face.

  "Look, Lara, I know you finally think I'm crazy. I'm not anymore. May I have my shower now? I really would like to shift. This hurts."

  I didn't wait for her answer but crossed to the shower, reached in, and started running the water. I adjusted until it was comfortable then said, "Lara, turn around, and if you peek, I will make you pay. Somehow. Probably by being deeply hurt."

  "I won't peek. Scarlett, don't even blink."

  "Scarlett, look in there. Is there anything that you will freak out if I touch it?"

  She stepped past me, looked around, then said, "No."

  "Turn around, Lara." She did, and I immediately shifted to fox. I struggled out of my clothes, and Scarlett knelt down to help me. I licked her face and yipped once. Lara couldn't help but look at me.

  "You are so beautiful," she said.

  I turned my nose to the shower, and Scarlett opened the door. I stepped in then turned around and stared at Lara. When she didn't turn around, I growled at her

  "Oh, sorry," she said, and she turned her back. I chuffed, turned my back, and shifted back to human. Scarlett closed the shower door, but watched me carefully through the glass.

  My hand still stung. I looked at it. It was better. "I am going to shift once more, then back." I shifted to fox, paused just a moment, then back to human. I looked at my hand, and it was red, but it stopped hurting. I opened the shower door and thrust my arm out, turning aside so Lara couldn't see anything I wasn't ready for her to see. "Lara you may inspect my hand if you don't believe me."

  "Scarlett, look at it," Lara said.

  "It's red, but you can barely tell," Scarlett said after taking a peek.

  "Satisfied, Lara?"

  "No."

  I laughed. "I understand."

  Then I stepped fully into the water and showered.

  I couldn't help it. I had to check the things they had done to me. The nipple piercings were odd. I turned my back on Scarlett and touched one of them. My nipples were very sensitive. The little curved rings had stayed when I had shifted. I wondered if they would get caught if I ran as a fox. If they did, they were coming out. Otherwise I would let Lara decide.

  I ran a finger over my nipple and decided I liked the extra sensitivity. I wondered if it would last. I gave one an experimental tug and realized perhaps I was offering a little too much opportunity to control me.

  I washed my crotch and checked there. It was still smooth as silk. I didn't know how fast my hair would grow back, especially after having shifted a few times. But so far no fur.

  I washed my hair, enjoying the luxury, then finally rinsed off completely and shut off the water. I sluiced off, then Scarlett opened the door and handed me a towel. I wrapped it around my hair and she handed me a second towel.

  With my escorts in tow, I returned to the bedroom and got dressed, making Lara continue to face away, even after everything was properly covered. Finally I slinked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. "Lara, I love you. I'm not suicidal. I know you don't believe me."

  She turned around. "I do, but we still have to be sure."

  "All right," I said. "Let's go downstairs and feed me. Scarlett, you too."

  We descended. Downstairs I found Vivian, reading in the living room. Elisabeth was pacing around. And I heard Francesca in the kitchen. I listened, but didn't hear anyone else.

  "I don't hear Angel."

  "She's not here," Lara said. "We know she's a trigger right now."

  "That's going to kill her," Scarlett said.

  "It will be okay," I said. I looked around the room. "There are fifteen knives in this room you probably didn't find. The kitchen, of course, is filled with knives, but only one is silver. You are going to have to trust me." Then I crossed to the kitchen and greeted Francesca.

  "I'm hungry."

  "Good morning to you, too," she said.

  "What do we have?"

  "Whatever you want. We have enough food for an army."

  "Anything warm."

  "Chicken and a salad?"

  "Fruit salad?"

  "We have that, just for you, Benny and Michele Lassiter."

  I laughed. The wolves hated fruit for some reason.

  "I forgot my lemonade upstairs."

  "I'll get it," Scarlett offered.

  I sat down at the table. Lara hovered over me. Francesca fed me. Scarlett gave me my lemonade, and I was able to drink it all by myself. What an accomplishment.

  I felt better after some food. I refilled the lemonade glass. "All r
ight," I said. "Let's go surprise Vivian."

  Again I left my keepers in my wake, and they struggled to catch up.

  Elisabeth was leaning by the door when I returned. Vivian looked up from her book. I cross the room and sat down next to her.

  "Vivian, there are three daggers within range of my hands right now, unless Elisabeth found them. Does that frighten you?"

  "Should it?"

  "I am not going to need them as long as I don't see any hypodermic needles, tasers, or unfamiliar wolves."

  "Then I am not worried."

  Elisabeth swore. "We found one."

  "Of course you did. But only one, I bet." I laughed. "There were four."

  "Oh hell," she said. "Damned fox."

  I turned to Vivian. "So, I remember."

  "What do you remember?" she asked.

  I smiled. "I think: everything. Every little thing. Is that good?"

  "Oh yes," she said, "It is very good."

  "Do you want me to tell you?"

  "Do you want to tell me?"

  "Damned shrinks," I said. "Questions answered by a question. It is my opinion everyone will feel worse in some ways by my story. It is not a good story. But I think they will feel better, too."

  "I think so, too," Vivian replied.

  "I think I'm not crazy."

  She smiled. "I told you that you weren't."

  "I need everyone to be honest. Is the wedding off?"

  "No!" said Lara. "Not yet," said Vivian. Elisabeth didn't answer.

  "All right. If I can get through the entire telling without, well, losing it?"

  "That's not a technical term," Vivian said.

  "Then you can perhaps decide?"

  "Perhaps," she said.

  I took a deep breath and looked around. "Hmm. I don't know what is going to happen. I think perhaps you should step back, Vivian."

  She climbed to her feet and moved away from me slowly. Then I began going through the sofa, pulling out the knives I had there. I tossed them onto the floor near Elisabeth's feet.

  She'd found the one underneath the coffee table. I went around the room, checking all my places. She had found about half. "You did better than I expected," I said, tossing more knives out. I made a full circuit until I'd gotten all of them. "There are three more, but they are hard to reach. We can leave them."

  "Where are they?" Elisabeth asked.

  "One is inside the ceiling fan over the table. Another one to the upper left of that cold air return." I pointed. "Small hole again. And the last is..." I walked to the front window, then pointed to the wall below the left corner. "Here."

  "How did you get it there?"

  "When they were doing the work on the window," I said. "I dropped one down."

  "For heaven's sake, why?" Elisabeth asked.

  I pointed to the pile of knives on the floor. "Seriously? You're asking me why?"

  She chuckled. "I get your point."

  "All right," I said. I pointed at the knives. "Get those out of here. And I need a phone."

  Scarlett handed me hers. I turned to Vivian. "If I lose it, put me down and the wedding is at best, postponed."

  Vivian nodded. Lara looked glum.

  I called Angel. It was hard to hear her voice.

  "Scarlett," she said. "How is she?"

  "Not Scarlett," I said. "Angel, I think you saved my life."

  "Michaela?"

  "Yeah. I don't know where my phone is. I borrowed Scarlett's. Look, I need you to come over, but if I, oh, I don't know -- look totally insane, I guess -- you may want to back slowly away, and if I have a knife in my hands, run."

  "You wouldn't hurt me."

  "I wouldn't want to. Come on over, Angel. Let's see how crazy the fox is." And I hung up.

  I looked around. They all were watching me warily. I sighed, then selected an easy chair. "Invite Francesca, too."

  Scarlett fetched Francesca from the kitchen. Lara moved to stand behind me, but I told her to go sit down. Vivian took her seat back. Francesca entered the room with Scarlett, and I gestured to seats. The front door opened.

  "Rory," said Rory's voice as he stepped inside.

  "Thank you, Rory," I said.

  "Take those away," Elisabeth said, pointing.

  "How many of those does she have?" Rory asked.

  I laughed. "Three hundred and, hmm... twelve I think."

  Rory collected the knives, handling them awkwardly, and then Elisabeth held the door for him. I heard Angel on the other side, and I imagined she was reading the sign. "Angel," she said. She and Rory did a dance in the doorway, getting past each other, and then she stepped in.

  I watched her carefully, judging my own reactions. Barely a twinge. She was watching me, too.

  "Come here," I told her. She crossed the room cautiously, and I stood up. She stopped three feet away, but I opened my arms, and she practically ran into them.

  "Careful," I said, wrapping my arms around her. She held me gingerly. "God, hug properly." And she tightened her hold. I kissed her cheek, and then I began to cry.

  She tried to pull away, but I told her, "No, stay." I stood on my tiptoes, trying to put my chin on her shoulder. "Tuck down a little," I said, crying quietly. She did, and I could look over her at Vivian. "This is not losing it," I said. "This is just crying."

  Vivian nodded.

  I let the tears cry themselves out, not worried about it. It only took a few minutes. I felt Angel's tears, too.

  "It's going to be all right," I told her.

  "We heard your screams," she said. "And I knew they were my fault."

  "No, Angel, they were not."

  "I heard you scream I was breaking your bones. Oh Michaela, we wouldn't have."

  "I know, honey."

  I pushed her away. "Dry your tears. It's fine. It's going to be fine. We're going to listen to a long, horrible story, and then we're going to decide if there's a wedding."

  I looked at Lara. "We need to push the ceremony to this evening at the earliest."

  She nodded, and Elisabeth made a quiet phone call to Gia to handle it.

  "Go sit down, Angel, between your mother and your lover, if you like."

  I looked between all of them.

  "You know," I said. "I think we're going to need alcohol for this. Even Scarlett and Angel. Doctor," I looked at Vivian. "May I have a beer?"

  She smiled and nodded.

  Scarlett and Angel jumped up, taking orders. They ran from the room and returned shortly with the drinks everyone asked for. I accepted mine and said, "Someone take this from me at the halfway point, or I'll go back to sleep." There were forced chuckles.

  Once we were all settled again, a beer in everyone's hands, I said. "Well, I bet you are all wondering what's going on. You all think I killed my first wolf when I was fourteen."

  Everyone nodded except Vivian.

  "Well, I was younger, much younger."

  First Wolf

  I was six when I killed my first wolf.

  My older brother and I were in the woods. I had been naughty, and I followed him. Yes, my older brother. It was Tyler, then Jean, then me. Tyler was ten years older than I was, so he was fifteen or sixteen or seventeen. Funny, I don't remember when his birthday was.

  I had followed him into the woods. I didn't know how bad an idea it was at the time. I thought it was a great lark, to see if I could follow my brother when he went into the woods. I worshipped him, as you might imagine. So for me to be able to follow him without him knowing, well, you know how proud I am. Imagine how that made me feel.

  But I was six. I didn't know the real dangers. Oh, I knew about wolves. We'd hidden from them before, and we practiced hiding from wolves every day. But I didn't realize what Tyler was doing in the woods.

  He was scouting for them. I know that now, but I didn't then. I just knew he was trying to be quiet, but I was quieter.

  We knew wolves hunted by smell, of course we did.

  It is my fault Tyler is dead.

  No
! This is crying. This is grief. Sit down. I am not losing it.

  I shouldn't have been out there. It's my fault Tyler is dead. He could have lost those wolves. There were two of them. They didn't find his track; they found mine. I had focused on following Tyler, not hiding my own trail, and I left a track as clear as day.

  I was following him by sound. He was quiet, very quiet, and I couldn't hear him from further than about three hundred yards.

  I don't know which of us heard the wolves first. They weren't quiet. I immediately knew they were on my back trail, and as soon as I heard them, I ran.

  Tyler didn't know I was there, but he would have recognized the sound of a fox breaking cover, and he would have heard the wolves, and he would have added two plus two. Tyler immediately tried to save me. I was his little sister, after all. He ran for my back trail, and then he followed after me, trying to obscure my trail for me as I ran, doing nothing, not a single thing to hide my own trail. I was in a blind panic.

  We had hidden from wolves, but I had never had one actually chasing me, and there were two.

  The reality is, as soon as they found my trail I should have been dead. Even if I had practiced every trick I knew, I was six. You think I am small now, imagine me at six.

  Twice Tyler confused them enough to draw them away from me, but he also had to save himself, and I was slowing down. He turned towards me, one wolf following him, and one following me, and he caught me with the wolves only seconds behind both of us. He shifted to human and scooped me up, and Tyler as a human was faster than I was in fur. He ran under a tree and gave me a big toss, straight up, as hard as he could, and I grabbed onto a tree branch and climbed into the branches, quivering in fur. Tyler shifted back to fox and ran.

  Both wolves ran right underneath my tree. They never saw me. Once they were further away, I climbed higher, trembling and trembling, trying to be quiet.

  On his own, without me to worry about, Tyler actually had a chance. Lara, you know how hard it can be to chase me, how good I can hide. Tyler was sixteen, he probably wasn't as good as I am now, but he was good, and these weren't alpha wolves.

  This was our territory, too, and we had traps for them. Tyler ran them through a pepper trap. That's where he ran past and pulled a string, and a whole bunch of pepper gets thrown over his back trail, a whole big cloud of it. The wolves tend to run into it and it completely destroys their noses. Depending on how it works, sometimes they're out of it for hours.