by Robin Roseau
"I don't want Lara to know this," I said. "Has anyone guessed why I wanted to know about other werefoxes?"
"You wanted to know if you were alone."
I looked down at my hands. "I wanted to know if I could have kits." And then I burst into tears. "There are only two of us left," I blubbered. "And we're both girls. My race is nearly extinct, Serena!"
She pulled me into her arms and rocked me as I cried against her shoulder. Slowly, in bits and pieces while still crying, I told her the rest.
"I vowed I wouldn't bring more foxes into this cruel world, but I knew you would keep them safe, Serena. I thought maybe it would be okay. But it's moot. There have never been any foxes in Africa or South America. The Mexico and wolf packs are even worse than the ones up here, so there's no way there are any living foxes there. Carissa and Greg are sure I'm the last in the US. Ekaterina said Sonya is the last she knows of in all of Russia, although she admits Siberia is vast. Even if there are any there, or any in Canada, I'll never find them. If I could go myself, maybe, but Lara would never allow that."
She tightened her arms at that. The entire time I cried, she made soothing sounds, not speaking any words, just listening.
But then she asked quietly, "Does Carissa know why you were asking."
"Yes."
She held me for a long time.
"I'm sorry I was a bitch last night," I told her eventually.
"You had all this in you, didn't you?"
"That's not an excuse."
I pushed away from her. "Lara and I are both so intense. And my relationship with Elisabeth is a little weird. But you're so grounded. You're not old enough to be my mother, but sometimes I see you that way anyway."
She smiled.
"What time is it?" I asked her.
"Pushing eight. Deirdre will be here about nine."
I looked away. I had forgotten we were to spend time with Deirdre today. "What is the plan?" I asked quietly.
"I think everyone is expecting you to tell us."
"Deirdre and I could stay here. We wouldn't need so many guards that way. Most of you could enjoy New Orleans."
"Alpha, do you really believe that's going to happen?"
"I'd be perfectly safe-"
"You don't understand, Michaela. We don't want to go anywhere without you." She took my hands. "Do you really believe anyone sees this as an unpleasant duty? There is no one from your duty team who wishes a transfer. There is no one who sees this as a chore. Do you understand why?"
"Watching me is easier than whatever other duties you might have."
She sighed. "No. Because even while we're doing our jobs, watching everything but you, we're also watching you. And we see the world through your fox eyes. I had never heard of a beignet. I would have had no idea we should go have them. I didn't know about étouffée or jambalaya or any of that." She smiled. "Angel showed us the things you gave her and Scarlett, and I want us to go back and buy some for me. I can't set foot in that store, but I want some of the same oils."
"Poor Angel," I said.
"Poor Eric this time," she countered.
I cocked my head. "You said that you were all waiting for me to say what we were doing, but it sounds like the day is planned."
"Maybe only a half hour," she countered.
"What would all of you do if I weren't here?"
"Honestly?" she asked. "We'd probably just go home."
"I'm keeping you-"
She put her fingers on her lips. "That's my point, Michaela. We'd just go home. That's not what we want to do. Do you see?"
I nodded, and she removed my her fingers from my lips.
"You want me to plan the day?"
"Perhaps with Deirdre."
I nodded. "Unless Deirdre or Lara have other plans, then once she arrives, we'll walk down for beignets and stop by Lush. Then I'd like to see a plantation in the daylight, or maybe the bayous."
"I'll spread the word and make sure everyone is ready when you are, Alpha."
And I nodded.
* * * *
Lara and Elisabeth were in our room when I arrived upstairs. I heard their heartbeats before opening the door. I stepped in then stood in the doorway. They both turned to me, and we all froze, staring at each other for a moment.
"I'll go," Elisabeth said.
"Head enforcer," I said instead, "we should discuss the day. I've already briefly discussed with Serena, but thoughts are tentative."
"Of course, Alpha," she said.
I stepped in, leaving the door open. Lara watched me warily. I turned to her. "Are we staying until tomorrow?"
"I thought we were," she said. "Are you canceling our day with Deirdre?"
"I wasn't sure if you were anxious to return home."
"I am anxious to hear your thoughts for the day," she replied.
I took her at face value. "When Deirdre arrives, I thought we could walk down for more beignets. They seemed popular yesterday."
"They were," Lara agreed.
"Serena has expressed a desire for her own products from Lush but requests I buy them for her. How badly did I stink afterwards, Lara? I don't want to spend the day without your arms around me."
Her eyes glistened. "If you air out for a half hour, you'll be fine," she replied.
"Elisabeth said-"
"Elisabeth is sometimes an idiot," Elisabeth said. "Your mate prefers your natural scent, but do you really think she would let anything stop her from holding you?"
"I bought a few more gifts yesterday," I said, "but I would like to know if you believe the things I bought would be popular more widely than I had planned. Do you think you could form an answer before we arrive at Lush?"
"I didn't see what you bought," Lara said.
"Neither did I," Elisabeth added.
"While I am showering, please visit with Angel, then," I requested. "After Lush, I would like to either see a plantation in the daylight or perhaps the bayous. Maybe we could take a swamp tour. I've never seen a wild alligator. I don't know if the rest of you have a preference, and Deirdre may have ideas."
Elisabeth and Lara exchanged glances. "Either would be nice," Lara answered. "Whatever you want, Michaela."
I shook my head. "Group decision."
It was Elisabeth that answered. "Michaela, she's not humoring you. She knows whatever you decide will be good, and a better decision than she would make."
"All right. Then we'll see what Deirdre says. She may have something entirely different in mind. If we are visiting cultural sites, I will wear one of the dresses you've picked, Elisabeth, but I want my knives. If we're doing a swamp tour, I'll wear outdoor clothing."
"Did you just ask me to pick your clothes?" Elisabeth asked.
"If we're visiting a plantation, then yes."
"I'll assume a plantation, and if it turns into a swamp tour instead, it only takes you a few minutes to change."
I nodded.
I looked at Lara. Her wary gaze had varied only mildly during the conversation. And so I walked straight to her, not stopping until we were touching. She pulled me into her arms and held me tightly.
"I'm sorry we fought," we each whispered at the same time.
We kissed, briefly, but them I squirmed away. "I'm sorry. I haven't-"
"Of course," she said.
* * * *
Excepting the enforcers on duty outside, everyone was in the library when I descended a while later. I stepped in, and I saw Deirdre talking with Lara, Violet, James and Hanna. I stepped past the clusters of enforcers, casually bumping Angel on my way past. She smiled hesitatingly and brushed fingers along my shoulder as I passed her.
Lara noticed me at that point and she turned towards me, smiling. She gave me a look up and down and smiled more broadly. But I could see the tension around her eyes and in her posture.
I'd put that tension there. Or we had done it together. I wasn't sure.
Deirdre noticed the change in Lara's posture and turned to me. Her smile was relaxe
d and genuine, and we moved together, hugging and exchanging cheek kisses. "Hello, my friend," she said.
We stepped apart and I looked at her. Then I fingered her ears. "Is this your birth form?"
She laughed. "No."
"Are these pointed?"
"Yes. But it's a complicated spell to turn them back. It's more than the ears. I could show you tonight."
"I'd like that."
"So... today," she said. "Carissa has invited all of us to lunch."
"At the plantation?"
"Yes. Ekaterina and Sonya are still there, but everyone else is gone."
I looked over to Lara, but she said simply, "Your choice."
"Are you sure?" she nodded.
"And you wanted to see the bayous and swamps."
"Unless you had something else in mind."
"No, no. We'll have a nice tour. Maybe Sonya will join us."
"The stress will be lower if there are no vampires," I said.
* * * *
We had a lovely day. The weather was pleasant, at least by Wisconsin standards, and Deirdre didn't complain. We enjoyed our time at Café du Monde. I spent a great deal of money at Lush, and then we traveled to Carissa's plantation. When we arrived, Carissa herself gave us a tour, and I had to admit: it was fascinating to learn about the plantation from someone who actually lived here for most of its existence. She encouraged questions, and it was Angel who asked, "Did you have slaves?"
"I had tightly-bound blood thralls," she replied, nonplussed by Angel's question. "I still do, although modern farming methods drastically reduce the amount of manual labor required to work the land. Many of my current thralls are the descendants of the original workers here. You can imagine my thralls were very loyal."
"So you still keep slaves," Angel said. I wondered why she was attempting to antagonize Carissa.
But it wasn't Carissa that answered; Anika stepped forward. "I am not a slave," she said. "I asked for this relationship. I am proud of my position."
"As am I," Joanna said. "I have a far better life with Carissa than I would have had if she hadn't found me."
"But you're not forced to work the land," Angel said.
"I've picked cotton," she countered. "By hand. We work one field using the original methods as a sort of homage to those who have come before us."
"I have spent two years that way," Anika said. "We dress in the same clothing the slaves wore and we live in the barracks."
"Although they have a few modern conveniences that didn't exist in the early nineteenth century."
"Like indoor plumbing," Anika said. "I wouldn't have volunteered without indoor plumbing."
"You volunteered?" Angel asked.
"Some years, we fight over who gets to do it," Joanna said. "Well, not literally."
"For heaven's sake, why?" I asked.
"Carissa joins us," Anika explained. "Not every day, of course not. But she works right beside us, and she teaches classes in the evenings."
"History, French, and business," Carissa said. "By the end of the year, the French becomes immersive, and I don't allow English, but anyone who has done this more than once is already fluent, or at least close to fluent."
"And this is a requirement for other positions," Anika said. She shrugged. "It is physically very difficult, and I wouldn't want to work that hard as I grow older, but I will do it again."
"Even though she's already served sufficiently for the other positions she covets," Carissa said.
"Carissa makes you," Angel said.
"You aren't listening," Joanna said. "We asked for this life. Anika refuses to talk about her life before coming here, but there are hints. I grew up in a real rat hole. My older sister was a drug addict, selling herself for drug money, and I was well on the same path when Carissa found me. I'm the only one in my family to attend college, and many of my cousins didn't even finish high school. Carissa interrupted what was about to become a very, very bad night for me, then took me home with her. She cleaned me up -- herself, I will point out -- and then told me what she was. She offered to erase my memories and return me home. I begged to stay. I told her I'd do anything for her. I was nothing back then," she said. "Nothing."
"That's not true," Carissa said. "You were intelligent with bright eyes."
"But you would have helped me even if I were dull and witless," Joanna said. "You've done it with others."
Carissa didn't respond to that.
When I glanced over at Lara, her lips were tight. The conversation hadn't gone as she'd hoped, I could tell.
"It seems Carissa and Lara have something in common," I said.
They both turned to me, Carissa with the ghost of a smile, Lara with a scowl. "What is that, Michaela?" Carissa asked brightly.
"You both take in lost waifs and offer your protection to those in need."
* * * *
Lunch was, much like the planation tour, interesting. I sat with Deirdre on one side, Lara on the other, and Sonya directly across from me. Carissa insisted the enforcers join us for the meal, and so with a nod from Elisabeth, they also took seats, so it was a very long, full table. As such, conversation was largely in sections based on seating.
Violet and James sat on either side of Carissa, when I listened, I could hear them discussing business. From time to time, they involved Lara and Elisabeth in the conversation, speaking across the full length of the table, but Lara finally said, "You two represent the council, and we trust your negotiating skills."
Ekaterina had intended to sit beside Sonya, but the fox spoke in Russian to her vampire, and after a moment, the vampire ended up seated beside Violet, separated from my end of the table by most of the enforcers. I felt bad that Sonya would be left out of the conversation, but when I said something to Ekaterina, she replied that it was Sonya's idea.
And so the fox listened to the conversations around her, I was sure not understanding one word in ten. But she smiled every time I looked at her.
Eventually the conversation flowed to our plans for our afternoon. That was when I realized Ekaterina was paying attention to more than one conversation.
So was I, so that wasn't such a surprise to me.
I didn't realize the significance immediately, but Ekaterina began speaking Russian in a quiet voice. I noticed only because it was out of place amongst the English everyone else was speaking. Sonya's head twitched for a moment, and I was sure she was listening to her vampire.
Then Sonya nodded her head, almost imperceptibly. Ekaterina spoke another sentence or two, and then she switched to English.
"Michaela, are you listening to me?" It was said so quietly I was sure the wolves couldn't possibly have heard, even Violet right next to her. I didn't know what vampire hearing was like, so perhaps Carissa could hear. I nodded as imperceptibly as Sonya had. Ekaterina laughed, surprising the wolves at her end of the table. The conversation there hadn't been laugh worthy. "Just a random thought," she said in a conversational tone. "Please forgive me."
Then she lowered her voice again. "Are you sure we couldn't discuss a change in your household? You would be a delightful addition. Two foxes, so different but so similar. I do delight in your subtlety."
I spoke as loudly as she was. "Tell me, is your hearing as good as mine?"
"Just a tiny bit louder, or speak very slowly," she replied. "If that was Russian, I would have understood."
And so I raised my voice slightly. "I do not expect to transfer households, but if my stance changes, I will remember your offer."
"Graciously said," she replied. "I explained your afternoon plans to Sonya. Right now, only four of us know this. Is she welcome to join you?"
"We are guests here, as you are. I am unsure I am the right person to ask."
"I believe you are."
"My mate's afternoon would be more pleasant for her if there were no vampires in attendance."
"I did not wish an invitation for myself."
And so I leaned to Lara, making a pretense of nuzzling
her as she sat next to me, but I spoke quietly into her ear. "May I invite Sonya? Vampire free."
She looked over at me and kissed my head. "No one speaks Russian."
"Is that 'no'?"
"Your decision, honey."
And so I spoke in a normal voice. "Ekaterina, we are doing some sort of swamp tour this afternoon. I'll be changing clothes before we go, and Deirdre has the details. Perhaps you and Sonya would care to join us."
Sonya heard her name but turned to her vampire, who spoke Russian for a moment. Sonya smiled broadly and spoke one word. "Da."
"If your alpha will see to her security along with your own, Sonya would like to join you," Ekaterina said, "but I have no desire to see a swamp. Violet, what are your plans?"
"I wondered if perhaps we could continue our business discussion, if Carissa hasn't other commitments," Violet offered. She turned to me. "If the alpha doesn't require me."
"Whatever you want," I said.
"Excellent," said Carissa. Then she spoke very quietly for my ears. "Could we join you for dinner?"
I glanced at Lara. She'd handle it. I nodded.
James decided to remain with Violet. Hanna asked if she could come with us.
* * * *
The swamp tour was... startling. There was no discussion over the details, only that Deirdre had arranged a private tour for our group. Our convoy drove an hour from the plantation before we pulled into a place called "Great Panther Swamp Tours." Our party consisted of Lara and me, Hanna, six enforcers, Deirdre, Sonya. Anika and Joanna elected to remain behind, although we would see them again at dinner.
It had been decided that seeing to Sonya's security meant plastering her to my side. The enforcers smirked at me, knowing that I'd doubly behave, if not for myself and my promises, but for Sonya's sake. I didn't want to think what Ekaterina would do if something happened to her fox, but neither Lara nor Elisabeth seemed unduly stressed to have her along. Deirdre attempted to relinquish my other side to Lara, but my mate only said, "No, no, today is her day with you." And so Lara hovered nearby, and she frequently stood immediately behind me with her hands on my shoulders, but she seemed content to let me speak to Deirdre.
However, we did have a moment of stress shortly after climbing from the vehicles. Of course, the enforcers set up their regular bubble. Deirdre smirked at their behavior. "As if anyone would dare try anything with you under Carissa's protection." Then she tried to head into the shack that defined the operations center for Great Panther. Elisabeth snagged her by her arm and dragged her back, pressing her against my side.
