Jaguar (The Madison Wolves Book 12)

by Robin Roseau

  “That it’s beneath your notice?”

  “Not at all. If the little fox can handle it so adroitly, just imagine what would happen if I, Elisabeth, all our enforcers, and indeed, the entire pack put our minds to it.”

  “It’s a big planet. You would think, as sparse as we are, that we could all get along.”

  “There’s always someone who wants to take what isn’t his, and who wants to rule those who don’t wish to be ruled.”

  “I suppose so. Cats are difficult to rule.”

  “So cats don’t have their own politics?”

  “Of course we do. You stay on your side of the river, and I’ll stay on mine. That’s about the sum of it.”

  Lara laughed. “I think I am envious.”

  “You wanted your job.”

  “Actually, I didn’t. That’s a long story for another day.”

  “Well, have you had dealings with other packs?”

  “Some,” she said. “Some you’ve heard about. Some you haven’t.”

  “Have you had enough to know what they’re like?”

  “Yes.” A one-word answer. Concise.

  “It’s not like that here,” I observed. I paused for a moment. “Lara, we’re here as friends, so don’t take this the wrong way. It’s not a threat or anything like that.”

  “All right,” she said carefully.

  “During the drive, Carissa said she’d trade packs any day.”

  Lara looked into my eyes and then laughed. “She gets tired of wolf politics, too, does she?”

  “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Not entirely. I’ve never lived with another pack. During my college years, I was obligated to attend on the Boston alphas from time to time, but it was entirely ceremonial, and no one was too pushy. But that’s the closest I’ve come to experiencing what other packs are like from the inside.”

  “How did you feel about it?”

  “Let’s just say I wasn’t tempted to remain in Boston.”

  “And that’s one of the better packs,” I said.

  “And New Orleans?”

  “Average, I’d say,” I told her.

  “I’m sorry,” Lara told me.

  I waved it away. “It doesn’t affect me.”

  “They stay on their side of the river?”

  “Figuratively, if not literally.” I paused. “It was, oh, 1830 or so when Carissa invited my forebears to settle in the region. She assured the peace. I don’t know what she may have had to do to honor that promise, but she’s been successful.”

  “Maybe I’ll ask her someday.”

  That was when the door opened, and Michaela stepped out. “Did I give the two of you long enough?” she asked.

  “Were you listening, my mate?” Lara asked, holding out a hand. Michaela crossed the deck to take the offered hand, then folded against her wife’s side as Lara slid an arm around the petite woman.

  “No. Your timing was impeccable.”

  “Did you introduce Carissa to Prudence?”

  “Yes.” Michaela laughed. “Oil and water, I’m afraid.”

  “Any damage?”

  “No. It was very ominous.” Then she put on a deeper voice. “Death clings to you like a shroud.” She changed her tone back. “Poor Carissa. All she could say was, ‘I know’.”

  Then Michaela laughed. “But then Prudence turned her head, and it was like she was following a line of some sort. Smoke. Something. Her eyes settled on Anika across the room, and she said, ‘You have bound the humans to you.’”

  “She could see the thrall?”

  “So it seems,” Michaela said. “Prudence didn’t seem happy, but then she said, ‘And they came willingly.’”

  “They did,” I said. “Carissa takes what is offered.”

  “I know,” said Michaela. She shook her head. “I swear, Prudence was ready to go break the thrall, then and there. She stalked off, and I had to hurry to catch up to her.”

  “Please tell me she’s not interfering with Anika and Joanna.”

  “She’s not,” Michaela said. “I told her she had no right to interfere in a consensual relationship. She wasn’t happy, but I left her with Zoe and Portia.”

  “That’s an interesting choice,” Lara said.

  “It was a good choice,” Michaela said. “I left them talking about weddings, with orders to Portia to keep Prudence away from Carissa and her humans.”

  I cocked my head. “Why did you laugh earlier?”

  “Oh. I shouldn’t have, but I was reminded of a movie scene.” She turned back to Lara. “Young Frankenstein. You weren’t there, but Zoe played it a few weeks ago during movie night. There’s a scene where the monster is grasping at invisible violin notes in the air. Prudence just reminded me.” Then she leaned over and gave Lara a quick peck of a kiss. “My turn. Go away.”

  “Do you see how I am treated here?” Lara said to me. “Dismissed just like that.”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “You have a warm fox pressed against you. That doesn’t seem all bad.”

  “I admit,” Lara agreed. “That part is pretty good.” She tightened her hold on the fox for a moment then relaxed, throwing her legs over the bench and standing up. “Will you be long?”

  “Not long,” Michaela said. “Maybe you can go stir up some fresh trouble.”

  “That’s my style,” Lara said. “I’ll see you inside.”

  We waited until the door closed behind her before Michaela and I looked each other in the eye. “I’ll get right to it,” I said. “There’s one elephant we didn’t discuss yesterday.”

  “Probably more than one. Which one do you mean?”

  “Fangs.”

  “Ah. That elephant.” She frowned. “As best I know, only four of us present this weekend know what it’s like to feed her.”

  “Yes,” I agreed. “Michaela, she honestly wants friendship.”

  “I know. I think Lara does, too. It’s harder for her than it is for me.”

  “Because of the thrall.”

  “No. Protective instincts. Lara doesn’t typically let fear get in the way, but occasionally, she freezes from it, trying to make the right decisions. I can’t exactly blame her. She takes her time instead of rushing to action, and if it takes her longer than it might take a fox, I can’t blame her for that, either. I’d rather see deliberate choices than what we could get from another wolf.”

  “Oh, I know,” I said. “Thinking is overrated.”

  Michaela laughed. “Yeah. Exactly.” She cocked her head for a moment, and I wondered if she was listening to something. But then her eyes focused on me again. “I don’t know if there’s much that can be done about it this weekend.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Of offering to feed her.”

  “Yourself?”

  “No. Lara would never allow it. Not after... And. I can’t ask any of the enforcers. Not this weekend. Or anyone from the council. Not ever. But it can’t be anyone too lowly, either.” But then she cocked her head the other way. “Maybe,” she said slowly.

  “There might be other choices,” I said.

  “You know, there’s a certain morbid curiosity. I pretend I don’t overhear, but I’ve heard some of them asking if Carissa was going to eat in front of us.”

  “She does.”

  “You know what type of eating I mean.”

  “She does that, too. At home. If she hosts a dinner, nearly always someone offers at least a taste. But it’s exceedingly possessive, and I’ve never seen her do it in front of relative strangers.”

  Michaela took on another faraway look, but then she focused again. “I need to speak with Lara and Elisabeth. And Prudence. Yes. And Prudence.”

  “You don’t mean to ask Prudence-“

  “No. I mean to ask her opinion.”

  I nodded at that.

  “Can you send them out? Talk quietly to either Lara or Elisabeth. And Portia, Serena, and Karen.” She paused. “And Zoe.”

&nbs
p; “Zoe.”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  I nodded and stood, then backed away from the table. “Michaela, there are other choices.”

  “I never put all my eggs in one basket,” she replied. “Leave this to me.”

  I nodded. “You know your pack.”

  I turned to leave, but she stopped me with my name. “Anna.” I turned back. “What Lara said to you?”

  “Alpha-“

  “I’d echo it. All right?”

  “You heard?”

  “I know my mate.”

  I nodded and hurried inside.

  * * * *

  I’d barely had a chance to whisper into Elisabeth’s ear before Monique caught up to me, sliding a hand into mine. “Anna, will you let me introduce you to my family?”

  “I’d love to meet them,” I said. I let her tug me through the crowded room. And so I met Faith and Brendon Simpson as well as Monique’s older sister, Catherine. And a moment later, I felt someone approach from behind me.

  “And this is my Aunt Prudence,” Monique said.

  I turned and found myself staring into the oldest pair of eyes I thought I’d ever seen, and the woman who hadn’t cared for Carissa besides.

  I couldn’t have guessed her age. Forty? Eighty? I didn’t know. Grey streaked her hair, and there were laugh lines around her lips and eyes. But at the same time she felt young. And ancient. And very, very confusing.

  And inside me, something stirred. Something very good stirred.

  “Prudence,” I said. “I’ve heard your name already today.” I held out my hand.

  She didn’t take it right away. Instead, she looked me over very carefully. Then she turned her head and looked at Carissa. Then she actually walked all the way around me, examining me very carefully. “You are bound to the vampire, but not the same way as the humans.”

  I had dropped my hand by then, but she reached forward and took it, clasping it in both of hers and looking down at it. “Very powerful,” she said. Still holding my hand, she stepped closer, much closer, well into my personal space, looking up into my eyes. “Yours is a complicated soul.”

  Then she stepped back, dropping my hand. She looked at me, then back at Carissa, then her head swiveled, and she was looking at Joanna, then the other direction, and she stared at Anika for a moment before returning her gaze to Carissa.

  And Carissa was looking back.

  But then Elisabeth was there, whispering into her ear. Without taking her eyes from Carissa, Prudence reached out a hand, setting it on Elisabeth’s arm. “Perhaps I was hasty.” She looked at me again, then back at Carissa. Then back at me. “Tell your vampire I may have been hasty.”

  And then she let Elisabeth lead her away, all of us staring after her.

  “Well,” Monique said after a moment, offering a small laugh. “That’s my Aunt Prudence.”

  “She’s...” I said. “Something else.”

  “That she is,” Faith agreed. “You seem to have thrown her for a loop.”

  “She’s probably never met a cat before.”

  “I wouldn’t assume that,” Brandon said. “She’s been around the block a few times.”

  I turned to face them. “Catherine, you were one of Michaela’s students.”

  “One of her first,” Catherine said. “She’s an amazing teacher.”

  For the next ten minutes, Monique’s family sang Michaela’s praises, which I found heartwarming, actually. Interspersed I learned what they were doing. Catherine was done with school, living back with her parents, and working at an engineering firm. Faith and Brandon worked together and seemed to have an amazing rapport. I was reminded of the alphas. And Monique was clearly adored by all of them.

  “The alphas are quite impressed with your daughter,” I managed to say at one point.

  “We’re so proud of her,” Faith said.

  They seemed happy to keep me, and I was happy to talk to them. Catherine especially seemed interested, and somehow she managed to move to my side. “Monique says you’re huge.”

  I laughed. “About average for a jaguar, I’d say.”

  “There will be a run later, and maybe a hunt. Will you hunt with us?”

  “If I’m invited, but I don’t know if my style is compatible with a wolf pack’s.”

  “It might be with ours, if Michaela leads the hunt,” Monique said.

  “It’s a,” Catherine started to say, and then I watched her pick the next word carefully. “Fusion. Fox and wolf. How does a jaguar hunt?”

  * * * *

  I didn’t see the alphas again until dinner was announced. But I did see an enforcer step in, talk quietly to someone, then step out. First it was Angel and Scarlett. Then I saw Scarlett with Iris and Lindsey, and the three disappeared.

  And then Prudence was back. She moved directly up to my side, facing me full on, and said, “You haven’t left this spot.”

  “I’m sorry. The conversation with your family has been fascinating.”

  At that she nodded, and without another word, she swiveled and stepped away. And suddenly I was surrounded by Monique’s family, all casually standing beside me as we watched Prudence make her way to Carissa.

  Carissa broke her conversation and turned to face the wolf. Prudence said something and then backed away, Carissa following after. And I realized that about half the eyes in the room were watching the exchange.

  Prudence said something. I couldn’t tell what. And then she lifted her hand towards Carissa’s face.

  The vampire held absolutely still, looking up into the wolf eyes.

  Prudence didn’t touch her, not then. Instead, her hand stopped several inches from Carissa’s face. And then Prudence walked slowly around the vampire, her hand out, but never quite touching her. She did that three times, finally coming to a stop in front of Carissa again. Then she moved closer, and this time she did touch Carissa, two fingers under her chin, lifting her gaze higher.

  I gasped. I wouldn’t have dared to touch a vampire queen like that. I wouldn’t have dared. But Prudence did it, and Carissa allowed it, even smiling a little.

  And then, in further amazement, Prudence dropped her fingers from Carissa, but instead of stepping away, she slid both hands down the vampire’s arms, collecting her hands and then holding both of them together between them.

  They spoke for a minute or two, and then they both backed away from each other, both offering a small head bow.

  “Well,” said Faith. “You don’t see that every day.”

  I glanced over at her. “No,” I agreed. “You certainly don’t.” But I had my eyes on Carissa, and when she flicked hers at me, I said, “Excuse me. Perhaps we can talk more later.”

  I managed to make my way through the room without too many distractions, and as I stood at the picture window, Carissa stepped up beside me. “That was interesting,” I said.

  “Quite so,” she agreed. “Anna, I wish to ask a favor.”

  I turned to face her. She was looking up at me. “Of course.”

  “If you get a chance, get to know that one.”

  “Carissa, that’s not a favor. Of course. Do you want me to go out of my way to make it happen?”

  “No, but don’t resist if opportunity presents.”

  I nodded once. “Of course. But Carissa, we’re not calling it a favor. All right?”

  She paused, and then it was her time to nod. “Thank you.”

  * * * *

  It was another ten minutes when one of the teenagers announced dinner. There was general movement in the direction of the dining room. I waited to follow behind everyone else.

  Arriving, I saw there were changes from yesterday. The dining hall in the lodge was large. Oh, it wasn’t restaurant large, but it was large. And the table was now twice as long as it had been, one long table with white linens spread across. The room was decorated quite festively in the colors of the season, and even the chairs were decorated.

  Lara and Michaela were waiting near the head of the t
able, two places side-by-side at the end. No one else had a place selected, and we all turned to the alphas.

  “Welcome, everyone,” Lara called out. “We’re pleased to have so many of the people we love here with us today.”

  “And we have special guests today as well,” Michaela said. “Important friends of the pack. We know this is somewhat unusual, but I know you’ve all been very welcoming.”

  “Carissa, Anna, Anika, and Joanna,” said Lara. “Please be welcome.”

  “Thank you, Alpha,” Carissa said for us. “Our hearts are warmed by the greetings we have received this Thanksgiving.”

  Lara and Michaela smiled, and then Michaela spoke. “We are going to assign a few seats, and we are going to make requests. First, Carissa, will you help to anchor the table?” She gestured to the foot, a place of honor, and Carissa moved into place, setting her hands on the back of her chair.

  “We have many families here today,” Lara said. “And so if parents wish their children to sit with them, then of course, they should. We have no kids’ table, and there is room for all.”

  “But we must not neglect our guests,” Michaela said. “And so, perhaps some of you will chose a companion.”

  There weren’t many to choose. Joanna and Eric were standing together, and he simply reached over and took her hand. A few seconds later, I saw Iris and Lindsey collect Anika by the arms, leading her to their joined families. And then I felt someone step up beside me, and when I looked, Prudence was there.

  “Would you sit with me?” she asked.

  “I would like that,” I said. And when she took my hand, I let her.

  But then I watched. Angel and Scarlett moved to Carissa, and after a moment I saw Angel take the seat to Carissa’s left, and Scarlett to her right.

  With that done, we filled in our places. Prudence led me to the middle of the table, far from either end. Michaela carefully watched over everything, making an occasional adjustment so that those who most wished could sit together. And so we each stood behind our seats, admiring the table settings.

  “Prudence,” Lara called out. “We are not often graced with this opportunity. Would you say a few words?”

  “Of course, Alpha,” Prudence said. “There are many beliefs in this room, but I would like us to form a circle.” She lifted her hands, one of them still holding mine. The person to her side offered a hand, and then, here and there, we all linked hands, one to the next.