Wolf Ways (The Madison Wolves Book 9)

by Robin Roseau

  I watched her. God, she was beautiful.

  She caressed my sides and my face. For that, I closed my eyes. It felt so nice. Fingers brushed across my lips, and then lips brushed across mine, briefly. They moved away, and I was deeply tempted to follow, but at the last instant I wondered if that had been a trap.

  I continued to lie still.

  She bent over and whispered in my ear. “In this game, you may answer direct questions. You almost moved there, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  She kissed my ear.

  After that, she continued to stroke my body while I lay quietly. The more she touched me, the harder it became to lie still. At the very least, I wanted to squirm and to encourage her. I wanted to touch her in return. I wanted to run my fingers across her skin. I wanted to feel those taut muscles. I wanted to feel them ripple under my hands.

  She moved down my body to my feet, and I closed my eyes and she massaged one foot then the other. The bed shifted, and then she was spreading my legs apart. Then I felt her begin to move back up my body, touching the insides of my legs as she moved.

  She bent down and kissed a knee, then licked her way across the top of the leg all the way to my pelvis. She kissed my belly button, and then her lips were over a breast. She pulled a nipple into her mouth, and I gasped.

  I was afraid that would be against the rules, but she hummed at me. Her fingers continued to stroke me while her lips and tongue teased my nipple. I felt it engorge under the attention.

  I couldn’t help it. I moaned and squirmed. Apparently those were legal in her game, too.

  “You taste delicious,” she said. Then she moved to the other nipple.

  The attention was divine; the anticipation was excruciating.

  “Say my name,” she ordered. And I obeyed.

  “Elisabeth…” It came out as a cross between a whisper and a pant.

  “Keep saying my name,” she said. And so I did.

  “Elisabeth… Elisabeth… Elisabeth…”

  She kissed me, and I moaned into the kiss. I opened for her, and her tongue slipped inside, searching, exploring, teasing. Then she withdrew. “Don’t stop saying my name.”

  “Elisabeth…”

  Her touches became more intimate, and I knew soon I would feel her hands where I wanted them.

  I squirmed again. I couldn’t help it. But I kept my limbs where she had put them.

  My eyes were closed now, and I didn’t open them for a long, long time.

  “Elisabeth…”

  Her fingers teased me, touching gently. Her hands still moving, her lips moved to my ear. “I am a dominant wolf, Zoe,” she said. “I take what I want, but never without permission. Say ‘yes’.”

  “Yes!” I said loudly, assuredly.

  She didn’t wait. Her hand slipped down my stomach, caressing with an open palm, and then the fingers curled. She cupped me, and I gasped at the touch.

  “You may now say three words. My name. Yes. Or the word ‘yours’.”

  “Yes!” I said again. “Elisabeth…”

  I wasn’t ready to admit I was hers.

  She stroked me with two fingers, and I gasped.

  “Yes!”

  She continued to stroke, and with each stroke, I said one of the allowed words.

  And I squirmed.

  “I won’t enter you until you admit you are mine,” she whispered.

  “Yours!” I agreed. “Yours, yours, yours.”

  She parted me with her fingers, and then she inserted a finger, and then a second. “Yours!” I said firmly.

  She knew what she was doing, and she soon had me gasping, repeating the three words over and over. She slowed, and her hand stilled.

  “No!” I said.

  “Oh Zoe,” she said.

  “Elisabeth,” I whimpered.

  She stilled entirely, and suddenly I was afraid of what she might do. “You’ve been very good, so I’ll give you a choice.” Her mouth was still at my ear. “Firm spanking, harder than the last one, or permission to do what I wanted to do. You may answer.”

  “Permission.”

  “Good.” It was a purr. She flexed her fingers just once, causing me to gasp. “Michaela struggled with this; Lara was not direct and forced her to figure this out on her own with only hints. I am far more direct than my sister.” She paused. “Dominant wolves are exhibitionists. It is important to us that the other wolves realize how virile we are. You may speak openly until the next time I move my hand. Do you know how I intend to prove my virility?”

  “You want me to scream loudly enough for everyone else to hear.”

  “Yes,” she said. “Now, there are always people in and about Lara’s home, so everyone hears Michaela. We are more isolated, so perhaps no one will hear. But I expect you to try.”

  “Oh god,” I said.

  And then her fingers moved, and I remembered her rule. I clamped my lips shut.

  She chuckled. “You’re good at my games, Zoe. Now, I will continue to do what I am doing. You will continue to say your three words, but you will grow louder and louder, or I stop.”

  “Elisabeth,” I whispered.

  Her fingers moved, and I gasped, but I said the words, and when she prompted me to be louder, I was louder. And louder. And louder.

  “Convince me you enjoy this,” she whispered. “Convince me you want more.”

  And I couldn’t help but obey. As I grew closer and closer to the cusp, I squirmed and panted, but I also said the words, “Elisabeth! Yes. Yours!” And then, as the orgasm arrived, and I shuddered around her fingers, my body clutching at her, I screamed the words, over and over.

  * * * *

  We lay still together. I was on my side, curled into her with my head on her shoulder. I was sweaty and filled with a deep glow. She had long ended the game, and we’d been murmuring quietly at each other.

  I was insanely happy, and I told her that.

  She didn’t answer with words, but her enveloping arms tightened for a moment.

  But then I said, “I can’t imagine I’m your dream girl.”

  She’d been stroking my shoulder slowly. Her hand stilled. “Why do you say that?”

  “If you wanted a human, you would have been dating them.”

  “I haven’t done much dating.”

  “Are you intending to avoid my question?”

  “You didn’t ask a question. You made an observation.” But she paused. “I would not have considered a human,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t have gone to a human bar and looked for a woman to pick up.”

  “You’d be very popular at all the lesbian bars.”

  She chuckled. “Are there any lesbian bars in Madison?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah.” She leaned up and kissed my forehead. “I don’t see it as being with a human. I see it as being with you.”

  I thought that was nice, but I wasn’t ready to let it go.

  “Leaving me out of it, what is your dream woman?”

  “I-” she paused. I could tell she didn’t want to answer.

  “I’ll answer any of your questions if you’ll honestly answer this one, Elisabeth.”

  “I don’t have a dream type, not like that,” she said. “There are people who I find attractive. But there is no such thing as perfect, because people are people.”

  “You’re dodging it, Elisabeth.”

  “How about this? I’ll tell you the things I like about you and the one or two I wish were a little different.”

  “All right.”

  “I like your intelligence and passion. You have fire, and I couldn’t be with someone who didn’t.”

  That felt really good, and I snuggled closer.

  “I like your size.”

  “That surprises me. Shouldn’t you be biologically attracted to werewolves, all of whom are much bigger than I am?”

  “I like your femininity,” she said.

  “You’re very feminine,” I countered. “Your curves
are perfect.”

  “I look ridiculous in a dress. Scarlett can pull off skirts and dresses, and a few other wolves can, but you won’t find them very often. Maybe I’m a victim of modern advertising, but I’m drawn to a feminine woman.”

  “So you liked me better at dinner than when we went running.”

  “Well, when we went running, you dressed appropriately for what we were doing.” She paused. “I think it’s a response to myself looking terrible in clothes like that. You’ll find, if you let me, I’ll want to dress you.”

  “Like a doll?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” I said. I thought about it. “I’d let you.”

  She hugged me tightly.

  “I like how strong you make me feel,” she said. “I like when you’re submissive.”

  “You do, hmm?”

  “Uh huh. It’s… relaxing. I don’t have to compete with you.”

  “I’m not competition.”

  “You are intellectually. We’re smart in different fields. We’ll never compete that way. We can each have our space.”

  “That makes sense,” I said.

  “It would be hard for me to be with a wolf as submissive as you,” she said. “In my mind, wolves aren’t submissive. So I would have a hard time respecting her. But you’re a delicate human, and so I can respect you for what you are and not get hung up on what a wolf is supposed to be like. So that is another way it’s better you are human than wolf.”

  I thought perhaps I understood that. I hadn’t ever thought of myself as submissive, but I realized around the wolves, I had been, and it was growing more pronounced.

  She paused, and I thought she wasn’t going to continue, so I prompted her. “How do I fall short?”

  “Are you going to be hurt?”

  “Probably,” I said. I looked up and kissed the side of your jaw. “But if you don’t tell me I’m going to go ask someone to call me a cab.”

  “No, you are not,” she said. “If you ever decide to leave, I will arrange a ride.”

  “Yes, Elisabeth,” I said meekly.

  “You have self-confidence issues. They aren’t extreme. It’s fixable.”

  “Will you help me?”

  She was quiet, then she said, almost too quiet to here, “Yes.”

  So I caressed her face. “What else?”

  “I worry that money will get in the way,” she said. “I am going to be sorely tempted to buy you things you cannot afford to buy yourself, and I think you’ll get mad if I do. This is a problem that will require a solution if we continue to see each other.”

  I thought about it. “What else?”

  “I wish we could run together,” she said. “I had a great deal of fun tonight. But I wish we could just run together. That’s not something we can fix.”

  “I suppose I don’t get to ride you like a pony.”

  She barked a short laugh. “No.”

  “There might be a compromise. I used to bike, before I got the Prius. My bicycle was stolen. I know it’s not the same, and maybe you don’t want to run along a road or the sort of trail I can bike. And you couldn’t tackle me or roughhouse.”

  She thought about it. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be the same. But it might be fun. Let’s see how we feel about it in a few weeks.” She paused. “If we decide to do it, I will buy the bike. You’ll have to leave it here, anyway.”

  I nodded. I was going to try very hard not to let money interfere with this.

  I enjoyed her company far too much to let something like money destroy a burgeoning relationship.

  “I think I understand what you mean when you talk about being dominant. Or I’m learning. But I don’t know what you want from me. Do you want me to fight? Or do you want me meek?”

  “I want you to be you,” she replied. “As long as you’re okay that I win.”

  I chuckled. “I don’t know. I feel like so far, I won.” I began to stroke her, my fingers finding one of her nipples, but she captured my hand and brought it to her lips for a kiss, then held it.

  I didn’t think I understood what she wanted, but perhaps I would learn.

  After a while, we slept.

  Lessons

  We made love again in the morning, this time a little more mutually. We were basking afterwards when her phone buzzed. She rolled out from underneath me and checked it, then sighed.

  “I’m sorry. I have to go. Duty calls.”

  “How do I get home?”

  “I thought you were staying.”

  “No. I stayed the night. You have to work, and I don’t want to sit around here all day.”

  “So you’ll sit alone at home for a few hours, then come back?”

  “Elisabeth, I have to stop by the printers and pick up a few prints to mail, then I have to get them on their way. I also have to fill Michaela’s orders plus one or two others that arrived this week.” I paused. “And I bet you don’t have a single thing in this house I can eat. Next time, I’ll drive my own car.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” she said. “You can use my Prius. It’s in the garage. I’ll leave the key for you. I’m sorry, I don’t have time to be gallant. I have to hop in the shower. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” I said to her retreating back.

  While she was showering, I dressed. She was quick and she caught me as I was pulling on my shoes.

  “You could have relaxed,” she said.

  “Lots to do.”

  Wearing nothing but a towel, she crossed the room to me, and I let her pull me into her arms. I lifted my head and got a kiss for my efforts.

  “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  “I’m not staying over tonight. If I bring your car back, how will I get home?”

  “I’ll drive you,” she said. “But I think you should bring an overnight bag anyway. In case I manage to change your mind. Give me a minute and I’ll see you out.”

  She headed to her closest and threw some clothes on, taking only a couple of minutes. When she reappeared, she took my hand and led me downstairs.

  “That’s for you,” she said, pointing to a zippered blue pouch sitting on the kitchen counter. “It’s your materials for class. You’ll need to bring it tonight. If you get a chance, you might want to start reading it. I suspect the other students have a jump on you.”

  I nodded. “Am I the only human?”

  “Yes, but don’t worry about that.”

  I nodded. “All right.”

  She kept her car key on a hook near the back door leading into her garage. She handed it to me then pulled me into another kiss. We hugged afterwards, and she whispered to me, “I had a very nice time, Zoe.”

  “I did, too.”

  * * * *

  I drove home, lost in thought. Really, I was on cloud nine. I had more than a nice time.

  Elisabeth was amazing.

  I was terribly afraid I wouldn’t measure up, but she knew what I was, and she still seemed to want me around. I decided to believe her when she said she had fun last night. I surprised myself: I had, too.

  But I didn’t want a de facto relationship. I didn’t want to go from refusing to see her to, in effect, moving in. I worried that if I spent more than one night in a row at her place, that’s what we would have.

  I wanted to make her work for it. I wondered if she would. It was convenient to ask me out last night, and it was convenient to ask me to stay again tonight. But if I were out of sight, would I be out of mind? I didn’t know.

  At home, I had breakfast then showered, got dressed for the day, and then checked my email. The printer I used for my prints was local, but I placed my orders via the Internet. I checked all my orders, entering them into my system, then ordered the appropriate prints. They would be available on Tuesday. I then drove to the printer and picked up the ones they had waiting for me.

  I do my own matting and framing except for the most expensive pieces. I could do it myself and save a lot of money, which left room for be
tter prices while also making a little more money for the extra effort. But I wasn’t good enough for the fancy frames; Michaela’s order would be framed by a framing shop. I didn’t have to worry about that today, as I didn’t have her prints yet.

  So I took everything back home and began the process of matting and framing the pieces. Then I had another trip to send them out. FedEx was my friend.

  Business was definitely up since joining the pack, and my personal finances were just beginning to look a little less tattered. I didn’t know if I could count on that trend continuing, but I wasn’t going to complain about it.

  Over lunch, I opened the packet. I found a note from Karen.

  Zoe, I’m so glad you’re joining us this weekend. You’re the only human amongst a small class of five, but don’t worry about that. You’ll be fine. If you can, please read the first three chapters of the book. If you have time, read more. Friday, you only need to bring this packet. There’s even a pen in here. But the rest of the weekend, you’ll also need to bring your gear, as we’ll spend time in the pool.

  See you Friday.

  Karen.

  PS. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but it’s best I say something anyway. Letters that include the phrase “The Only Human” should be properly stored or destroyed.

  I laughed at the last part. I was a little intimidated by being the only human. But they knew I was human when they invited me. Heck, they knew I was human when they invited me into the pack. I was going to do the best I could to avoid letting that bother me. Even though I was worried I could even lift the gear. It had all looked very heavy.

  I cracked open the book and began reading.

  * * * *

  I arrived back at the compound right at 3:30, but I wasn’t actually sure where I was supposed to go. Michaela had only said, “Be here.”

  I had Elisabeth’s car, so I drove to her house, put her car in the garage, and then poked my nose into her house to see if she was home. She wasn’t, so I headed for the alphas’ home.

  The walk from Elisabeth’s to Lara and Michaela’s home went between the barracks and the field we used during picnics. As I walked past, there was a group of teenage wolves playing some sort of game, but I didn’t immediately recognize the rules. I recognized the wolves as some of Michaela’s students, so I presumed school was out. I watched the game for just a minute or so before continuing on.