by Robin Roseau
I laughed lightly. "I am a fox, Lara. They are one and the same."
And then I slipped from her room.
Water Sports
I slept poorly. I hadn't had these particular nightmares in a long time. The third time I woke, my heart pounding, I sat up and swore quietly.
It was the scent of wolf that was doing it. While the sheets and bedding were clean and freshly laundered, they had been washed by a wolf, and her scent lingered. The entire house smelled like wolf as well, and this was triggering the dreams.
They were the same. In them, I was playing with my older sister, Jean, when my father came racing into the clearing that contained our little cottage. In the distance, I heard the howling of wolves, and I could smell the fear on my father.
I shook my head. I didn't want to think about the dreams. I slipped out of bed. I was wearing an oversized tee shirt and nothing else. I looked down, decided it would have to do, and stepped across the hall. I listened at Lara's door. Right at the edge of my hearing, she was breathing. More importantly, she was alone.
Her breathing shifted when I cracked the door open and slipped inside. She was a light sleeper. "It's Michaela," I said quietly, crossing to the bed. I didn't even bother waiting for an invitation but slipped under the covers next to her. She rolled to face me, reaching for me, misunderstanding.
"Dreams," I said. "This is just to sleep. Please."
"You mean nightmares?" she asked.
"Yes. From a long time ago. Please, may I curl against you?"
She nodded and settled in, and I curled into her back, breathing deeply her scent. It was wolf, and I didn't know if the dreams could come back, but I was starting to feel safe with her, and maybe she would keep the dreams at bay.
It took time to finish banishing the last nightmare, but then I slept and knew nothing until full daylight had arrived.
Lara woke first but lay still, not waking me. From her breathing, I could tell she was awake when I opened my eyes. I had burrowed my face into her back. She was wearing a black teddy and panties, and my faced was pressed into the silk. She stiffened slightly, and she knew I was awake.
I shifted away slightly, then reached up and pulled her shoulder towards me, rolling her onto her back, then squirmed closer, draping myself into her. "Thank you," I told her.
"No more nightmares?"
"Perhaps pleasant dreams of feeling safe."
My eyes were closed, but I could tell she was pleased.
"We shared a bed after all."
"Not quite the way you intended to bed me," I replied.
"I have no complaints." She stretched, and I felt her muscles ripple, and when she was done, she had an arm around me, pulling me tightly against her.
"Subtle, Alpha," I told her.
She giggled. "You know, Michaela, I have never shared my bed before."
Her words reminded me of the last person I'd slept next to. I stiffened and pulled my hands to my chest. I tried to pull away from her, but she held me tightly.
"Michaela? What did I say?"
I willed myself to relax. "Nothing. It's not your fault."
She reached over and caressed my cheek, tucking errant hair behind my ear. "Please tell me."
"I haven't shared a bed for a very long time, Lara, and then only with one person. She is dead now."
"Oh. I am sorry. How did she die?"
I didn't answer. I wasn't ready to tell her. "Change the subject," I ordered.
"What would you like to do today?"
I smiled. "You didn't have it all planned out?"
"Yes, I did," she said. "I had planned on spending the day fucking like bunnies."
I laughed. "Have you ever watched bunnies fuck? It's kind of boring."
She chuckled, her chest jiggling. I got a good look. Lara realized where I was staring. "I am wondering if perhaps my original plan will stand."
"No, Lara. But this is nice."
"Yes, it is." Lara stroked my hair, and I relaxed further into her. We lay like that for a while. "You haven't answered my question," Lara finally pointed out.
"I was thinking. I was thinking of our imbalance. You are a wolf alpha. I am a lone fox. You are big and strong. I am small and fragile."
"And very lovely and cunning."
"You are rich. By all appearances, very, very rich. I am a public servant."
"Did you come to any conclusions about these imbalances?"
"Yes. There is nothing to be done about any of them. You will always be a wolf. I will always be a fox. You will always be rich, unless you are incredibly foolish. And I would never let you be foolish."
She tightened her hold on me.
I went on. "I may not be a public servant forever, but I have little interest in the things that would make me rich."
"In spite of your foxy curiosity?"
"I have little interest in power, Lara. I recognize the source. I recognize the way it works. But I could never be the face of power. I could be the woman behind the power, but I could never be the one with the power. For more reasons than I can count."
"All right," she said. "So we have these imbalances that are here to stay."
"It is impractical to fight against them. And so I must accept them."
"You are a practical little fox," Lara said non-committedly.
"Of course I am," I told her. "I know what I would like to do today. Come to Bayfield with me. I want to spend a very small amount of your money."
She laughed. "All right. What are we going to do?"
"Do you have a wet suit?"
"Why would I ever need a wet suit?"
I grinned but didn't answer.
"I'll need to bring enforcers. It's too far from Madison."
"If we drive, we'll miss our opportunity."
"Don't worry," Lara said. "We'll fly."
"I suppose with the alpha along, I can't claim shotgun this time." I mock pouted.
She laughed. "We'll see what we can arrange."
I leaned up and nuzzled her neck then turned her head for a kiss. As kisses go, it was very chaste, but it was sweet, and I melted against her for a moment longer before rolling away. We climbed to our feet on opposite sides of the bed. I went in search of a shower.
* * * *
Stepping out of the shower, I heard the noises of the house. There were people downstairs. I heard the sounds of food being prepared. There was a mix of voices, male and female. Lara was taking her own shower.
I dressed in jeans, a blouse, and my tennis shoes, then packed my bag and made the bed. By the time I was done, Lara was out of the shower. I crossed the hallway to her door, which was open.
"What do I need to bring?" she asked over her shoulder, hearing me skulking in the hallway.
I stepped inside. She was dressed much as I was. "Beach clothing," I said. "And something to wear to dinner. Do you want casual or expensive for dinner?"
She turned to face me. "Rittenhouse. I already made reservations. I hope that is all right."
"I love the Rittenhouse. I can't afford to go very often."
She finished packing a small travel bag for her beach clothing and pulled a garment bag from her closet. Downstairs, we left our bags near the door, and Lara took my hand to lead me to the kitchen.
The kitchen was full of wolves. I stopped at the entrance. I knew they were there, but the sight of them was still intimidating. Every pair of eyes in the room turned to face us in the doorway.
"Good morning, Alpha," Rory said.
I looked around the room, finding familiar faces. David, Rory, Elisabeth, and three wolves I didn't know all faced us. I recognized their faces from last night, but I hadn't actually met them.
"Good morning," Lara responded. She turned to me and gave me a moment.
"Good morning," I said finally, stepping fully into the kitchen. I dropped Lara's hand and walked to face Elisabeth, ignoring the other wolves. I looked up into her face.
"If you want revenge, I understand. If you hit me, you could kill me."
There was muffled laughter from behind me, and I heard some gleeful comments about the wolf that bared her throat to a tiny fox.
Elisabeth smiled. "It was pretty funny, little fox. Once I got over the embarrassment, anyway. I haven't played like a pup in years, and I had fun."
"I don't need to look over my shoulder, then?"
"No. If I ever need to challenge you, it will be to your face."
We smiled at each other, and I stepped away. "Anyone coming to Bayfield needs to be prepared for a day at the beach. If you have wet suits, bring them. What's for breakfast? And who is packing a doggy bag?"
No one found my comment about doggy bags funny.
* * * *
Forty minutes later we were at their little airport. There was a single paved strip, three hangars, and little else. Parked in front of one of the hangars were two airplanes. June, the pilot from yesterday, was walking around one of them, checking it over.
Counting June, there were six of us. David, Rory and Elisabeth were going to Bayfield with us. We walked over to the planes, and June turned to Lara.
"Good morning, Alpha," she said. "Both planes are preflighted and ready to go."
"Thank you, June. Everyone climb in. Elisabeth you're with me. I'm sorry, but Michaela asked for shotgun."
Elisabeth grumbled good naturedly but climbed into the back of one of the planes. Lara walked around the plane quickly, then checked the fuel and oil level while I watched.
"Didn't June do that?" I asked.
"She did. But as the pilot, I am ultimately responsible for the flight, so I double checked."
"You're the pilot?" I asked. "Doesn't that take years of experience?"
"Forty hours," she said. "But I've been flying since I was seven. You're perfectly safe."
After that, Lara climbed in first, crossing to the pilot's seat on the left. I followed after her and closed the door the way I'd been taught. I adjusted my seat, buckled in, put my headphones on, then sat quietly while Lara did the pilot things.
Ten minutes later, both airplanes were in the air and pointed north.
Lara keyed the radio. "June, keep some separation. The fox looks like she wants to make us all airsick." Then she turned to me and took her hands from the controls. "Your airplane, Michaela."
I grinned at her and settled my hands on the controls.
Thirty minutes later, Elisabeth finally said, "For all that is holy, Alpha, make her stop. Or I swear, I will not be responsible for the mess I make of your leather seats."
I immediately took my hands from the controls, but I turned around. Elisabeth was white. "I thought I was doing pretty good," I said. "I'm sorry."
"You were doing fine," Lara said. "Ignore her. She just hates sitting in back."
It was late morning when we arrived at Madeline Island. We parked the planes and walked to the ferry, everyone in good spirits.
"No one minds the walk?" I asked Lara.
"It's a beautiful day for a walk," Lara responded. And it was. Sunny, warm, but not horribly hot. Everyone except me was wearing a hat. I hadn't brought one, but I'd collect one at home. "I didn't know Bayfield had a beach."
"It doesn't, not really. We're not going swimming. At least not intentionally."
"Then what are we doing?"
"You'll see."
She growled at me. "It is not nice to keep the alpha guessing."
I stroked her arm. "I am fox. Get used to it."
From behind me, Elisabeth snickered. Lara turned to glare at her. "Hey," Elisabeth said. "You're the one with the infatuation for the fox. Don't blame me."
"Infatuation?" I asked.
"She's been talking about you for weeks," Elisabeth said.
"Shut up, Elisabeth," Lara said.
"Oh no, Elisabeth, keep talking."
"I have to admit," Elisabeth said. "I wish someone had taken pictures."
"Pictures of what?"
"You, dangling from the scruff of your neck."
"Shut up, Elisabeth," I said.
Everyone chuckled.
We didn't have to wait long for the ferry. Once on firm ground, we walked to my house. Until then, everyone had acted casually, but I watched as the wolves went on alert, fanning out with Lara and me in the middle.
"Seriously?" I asked Lara.
"Nothing wrong with caution," Lara said.
When we got to the house, I stopped everyone. "Lara, I don't want my house smelling like five wolves for two weeks. We're only staying for a few minutes. But everyone needs to change into swimsuits."
"They can change in the garage," Lara said. "Will you let David check it out before you and I go in alone?"
I nodded. David took my keys from me and entered via the front door while the other wolves spread out, circling my house. David slipped into my house. I could have told him there was no one there, but I listened as he searched my house, checking every nook and cranny. Finally he slipped out and nodded to Lara.
"Paranoid wolves," I said halfway under my breath as Lara and I slipped into the house. "You may change down here," I told Lara, pointing to the bathroom. "I will only be a few minutes."
In my bedroom, I changed into a simple one-piece suit, tossing a white blouse over my shoulders, and a pair of sandals. Downstairs, Lara showed her appreciation for my bare legs. I basked.
Yes, I am vain about my appearance. I am fox, after all.
Lara looked pretty good, too. She was in a bikini, and her body was amazing. All sinew and muscle, but she had her own curves, and I appreciated them, even if she was taller than an Amazon.
I transferred my wallet from my purse to a waterproof bag I use when I am on the water. "Give me yours, too," I told Lara, and we added hers before stepping out back.
The other wolves were all ready for a day on the beach, but they looked at me dubiously. "All right," I said. "I need some big strong wolves to help me." That earned me some grins. I led the way back into the garage and pointed to the ceiling. "I want that down."
"A canoe?" Lara asked.
"Kayak."
She eyed it dubiously. "We won't all fit."
"I have it covered," I told her.
"Elisabeth and June, if you wouldn't mind?" she asked them. They sprang to it. I helped them release the right ropes, and they gently lowered my kayak to the floor of the garage. I double checked that everything I needed was in the cockpit and hit the garage door opener.
"If two of you can carry that," I asked. "Who likes to fish and has a license?" Rory, Elisabeth and June raised their hands. "Let me see your licenses," I said.
"You don't trust our word?" Elisabeth asked.
"I work for US Fish and Wildlife," I said. "If I take you fishing and you're caught without a license, I don't know what happens to my job." It took a minute, but all three produced fishing licenses. I added them to my waterproof bag then asked Rory to help me collect fishing gear.
Ten minutes later, our little troop was back at the waterfront. "Wait here," I said, stepping into a boathouse next to the water. "Lara, with me if you please."
Benny, the shop owner, was finishing with another customer. I waited for him to be finished. He turned to me. "Michaela!"
"Hey, Benny. This is Lara. We need full gear for five. And you need to take a peek at them."
Benny stepped outside, and I pointed to the four enforcers clustered around my kayak. It looked tiny next to them. "Oh my," he said. "They're-"
"Big."
"Yeah. Even the women." Benny stepped closer. "Is the brunette single?"
I laughed. "She'd eat you for lunch, Benny. Would you like an introduction?" I raised my voice. "June, we'll need you, too."
Benny was small for a man. Compared to me, he was a giant, but June had three inches of height on him. I introduced the two of them, and we retreated back into the boathouse. Lara was looking at the boats.
I let Benny and June handle everything. The two of them carried kayak after kayak down to the water, then Benny handed June paddles and
life jackets. Lara stepped up to me, giggling.
"I am reminded of a movie."
"I know, I was just thinking of that. Is she single?"
"Yes. Benny?"
"He's a good man." I stressed the last word.
"I don't know if June will be interested, but if she is, she'll be gentle with him."
Outfitting the wolves in wetsuits was less of a challenge than I expected. The women wore men's wetsuits, and Benny had two super extra humungously large suits for David and Rory.
"Do you need a safety clinic?" Benny asked us finally.
"I'll handle it," I told him. "If that's okay with you." I handed Lara her billfold, and she paid Benny for the rentals.
I got them all into the shallow water with their kayaks. There was grumbling when I made them all wear lifejackets, but Lara growled, and they all shut up. I noticed Elisabeth was very quiet and hadn't grumbled about putting on a lifejacket. I eyed her and she grinned at me.
I demonstrated the basics while they stood in the water. I showed them how to use the splash skirt and how to paddle. Then I stopped some distance from the shore and tipped over. I didn't want to try to teach an Eskimo roll, so I slipped out of the boat and came up next to it. I explained everything then one by one, starting with Lara, let them climb into their boats and demonstrate they could escape if they tipped. I kept Elisabeth to last.
"Everyone into their boats," I said. "Elisabeth and I are going to demonstrate two other ways to right a tipped over kayak."
They got into their boats, and we paddled into mildly deeper water. I slipped mine up to Elisabeth. "How good are you?"
"Probably not as experienced as you are, but good enough."
"We're going to demonstrate an assisted righting first," I said. She nodded. "You first." I raised my voice. "Now, Elisabeth is going to tip over."
She promptly flipped her boat. Then her hand came up out of the water, and she tapped the bottom of the boat. I paddled up next to her on the opposite side, grabbed her arm, and she flipped back right side up. There was sarcastic applause. I immediately flipped my boat, then while hanging upside down in the water, reached up and tapped on the bottom. I felt Elisabeth grab my wrist and pull.
She almost pulled my arm out of the socket, and I popped back out of the water. I worked the shoulder and turned to her. "Gently next time."
