Beware of Wolf

by Geonn Cannon

  She eyed her cell phone for a good two minutes before she finally picked it up. She dialed an international number and closed her eyes as it buzzed in her ear.

  "Hello."

  "I'm out."

  There was a long silence on the other end of the line. "You assured us--"

  "I know what I said. But I can't do it. More than that, I won't do it."

  "Millie, if you abort now, you'll be destroying our ability to do this quietly. It was your idea to play it subtle. But if you stop now, we'll be forced to use more dire methods. You're the one who convinced us that Ms. Frye might come willingly. If you've changed your mind we can certainly go back to--"

  Milo interrupted. "No." She hated herself, but she knew what lengths the bitch would go to. She looked out the window, defeated. "Don't do that."

  "So you'll continue as we agreed."

  Milo chewed the inside of her cheek. "Yeah."

  "Fantastic. Keep us apprised, Millicent."

  The call disconnected and Milo hurled the phone at the sofa, where it hit the cushion with a sound like a baseball sinking into a catcher's mitt.

  #

  Dale was at the computer when Ari got to the office. She was carrying a small white bag in one hand, the satchel in the other. She dropped the bag into one of the waiting room chairs as Dale stood up to meet her halfway. They embraced, kissed, and held each other for a long minute until Dale turned her head and kissed Ari's ear.

  "Everything okay?"

  "Everything great. Jenna's fine. She's home with her mother." Dale audibly exhaled with relief, her arms tightening around Ari's waist. "Just letting it all catch up with me."

  "Thank God. You did good work today, Ariadne." She pulled back and kissed Ari's lips again. "I love you."

  "I love you, too." Ari stared into Dale's eyes for a moment and then pulled back. "That's why I bought this with some of the extra Madeline Morris paid me." She took it out and tossed the bag so she could hold it with both hands. It was a brown leather collar with a silver clasp. Simple enough, but out of context it was hard for Dale to reason why Ari had it.

  "What's that for?"

  "It's a promise. It's not a wedding proposal or an engagement ring, but it says that I'm yours. Whenever you're ready to put it on me, I'll wear it."

  "Oh. Wow." Dale ran the fingers of one hand over the leather. "Can I put it on you now?"

  "Of course."

  "Okay." Dale took it and Ari lifted her hair out of the way. Dale slipped the collar around Ari's neck and bit her bottom lip as she slipped the tongue into the metal loop. She looked into Ari's eyes. "Is that too tight?"

  Ari worked her head from side to side and smiled. "Nope. Feels great."

  Dale let her hands slide down to Ari's shoulders and smiled. "Good. Now, you mentioned being paid...?"

  "Yeah. The case is officially closed."

  "Officially, but not technically."

  Ari briefly explained what had happened during the ransom drop, ending with Brandon Kent's death. "Someone is still out there and they were running the show with Jenna's abduction. I'm not going to feel like she's safe until I know everything that happened. But now that there's been a death, and since Jenna is no longer in danger, I think we can call the police and let them do some of the legwork."

  "Definitely. But first, paperwork."

  "Can't I just get shot at again?"

  Dale hooked her forefinger under Ari's collar and dragged her to the desk so she could fill out a report.

  PART II

  Chapter Thirteen

  The undergrowth shuddered violently as the animals pass through it, the sound of their heavy breathing frightening away the smaller creatures that flee in fright. The forest seems endless, an ever-continuing expanse of scents and uneven ground and trees so tall their tops are out of sight. At a clearing with a lake the wolf skids to a stop and turns, sides billowing with breath as she waits for her companion to join her.

  The sleek fox bursts out of the scrub and slams into her side. Their limbs tangle and they bite playfully at each other, finally ending up in the water where their fur becomes soaked. The fox rises and bolts back to dry land and the wolf follows. Dripping, the wolf crowds the fox as they both begin to transform. Their faces shift and change until they are human, lank brown hair hanging in the wolf's face.

  Ari playfully licks Dale's cheek as the fur recedes to reveal soft pink flesh. Dale grabs handfuls of Ari's hair and pulls her head back, lips against Ari's throat as they rearrange their legs and settle against one another. Ari sits up and Dale lifts her hips to meet her, smiling up at her as the fox and the wolf become human once more.

  Ari tightened her arms around Dale's waist as the dream broke, blinking the fog out of her eyes and pressing tighter against her partner. Dale's breathing remained steady in sleep so Ari settled against her and closed her eyes in a futile attempt to get back to sleep. She knew it was only a matter of time before the day began. The morning was already bright through the window and she could hear Dale's neighbors getting ready for work.

  After trying and failing to fall back to sleep, Ari decided to wake Dale. She kissed her neck, stroked her hip, and gently nibbled her earlobe until Dale began to respond. She rolled onto her back and sleepily draped her arms around Ari's neck, angling her face up for a kiss. She pecked the corners of Ari's mouth and then dropped her head back onto the pillow.

  "It's early." Her voice was rough with sleep. She turned her head to cough quietly into the pillow. Ari took the opportunity to kiss the column of Dale's neck. "Morning."

  "Good morning." She flopped onto her back and brought her hands up, letting her fingers trail over the strip of leather around Ari's neck. Ari smiled; she'd done the same thing every morning since putting it on. Dale's eyelids were still heavy, but her smile was lively as she traced the rough material. "Didn't you go for a run last night?"

  "I decided against it. But I think the wolf disagreed with me. I'll probably have to go out tonight if I don't change for work."

  Dale nodded and slid her hand down to Ari's hip. "Up. I want to shower."

  Ari kissed her one more time and then rolled off. They pushed aside the blankets until Dale could get her feet free, and she tugged at her nightshirt as she walked to the bathroom. Ari took her phone off the charger on the nightstand and checked email, the news, and Twitter.

  By the time Dale emerged from the shower, pink-skinned and wrapped in a fluffy blue towel, Ari was awake enough to appreciate the sight of her at the bathroom sink. The way she pressed her hips against the counter and leaned forward to get an inch closer to the mirror, her left knee bent so that the heel of her foot was off the tile, humming quietly to herself... Ari put aside her phone and climbed out of bed.

  Ari undressed and stepped into the shower that Dale had left running so the water would still be hot enough to scald when Ari got into it. Ari undressed and tossed her pajamas into the hamper before she stepped into the stall. "I had a dream about you."

  "Oh? Was I naked?"

  "Pretty much."

  "Sweet. Anything in the news?"

  Ari ducked her head under the shower spray. "Nothing interesting. Still no word on Missing Melody."

  She heard Dale cluck her tongue in dismay. It was the sixteenth day since her disappearance, and the sad truth was that the city had moved on. Even inundated with the girl's picture on every street corner and her face plastered on every news broadcast - local and national - after two weeks people reluctantly accepted the fact she probably wouldn't be coming back. The Saturday before, when it was clear the public's interest was waning, the girl's mother Brenda Scott made a final impassioned plea to whoever took her daughter. Rewards had gone unclaimed, and the information flood slowed to a trickle. The ubiquitous posters of Missing Melody began to disappear. Torn away by winds or rain, covered over by another flyer, or just simply taken down as new items were displayed in their place.

  When Ari got out of the shower, Dale was in the bedroom and half-dre
ssed. She brushed her hand over the small of Dale's back as she passed. "I'm going to run home and get a better change of clothes. Want to meet me somewhere for breakfast?"

  "Sure. Adelaide's?"

  Ari nodded. Their apartments were less than a mile apart, which made the idea of bringing clothes over easier and more confusing. If there was a concerted effort to move house, it would make the decision monumental. But as it was she could bring her things over to Dale's a little at a time and they could be cohabitating without actually making the decision.

  "I'll see you there in thirty." She kissed Dale, tasting the mint of her toothpaste before pulling away. "Mm. See you then."

  "Wear something blue."

  Ari paused in the bedroom door. "What? Why?"

  Dale shrugged as she put on a blouse. "I like you in blue."

  Ari smiled and nodded. "Blue it is." She bent two fingers in a small goodbye wave and put on her jacket as she left the apartment.

  Ten days earlier she had gathered everything she and Dale had discovered about Jenna Morris' disappearance and took it to Detective Lorne. He was, perhaps rightfully, angered and offended by the fact they had kept the information from the police. Withholding the kidnapping investigation was bad enough, but the fact a man was dead meant their silence bordered on criminal. Ari pointed out that Brandon Kent's death was what prompted her to come forward, and he informed her that was the only thing keeping her out of jail.

  He initially promised to keep them up to date with whatever he found about the mystery shooter without providing a single scrap of news since. Whether that was his method of revenge or if the case had simply stagnated, Ari wasn't sure. She decided to give Lorne the benefit of the doubt and wait a few more days before she called to see if he had found anything.

  A week earlier a thank-you card had arrived in the mail. Inside was a handwritten message from Jenna. "Thank you for saving me from the Bad Men. Love Jenna Pearl Morris (7)." The card was currently propped up against Ari's computer monitor until she found a more permanent way to display it. According to the note Madeline included with the card, Jenna was back in school and already putting the whole thing behind her. There were nightmares, of course, and Madeline had spent more than a few nights in a sleeping bag next to Jenna's bed, but Brandon and Mystery Man had treated her with relative kindness. "The road to recovery, I think, will be a short and relatively smooth ride thanks to you, Miss Willow. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

  The case was one of Ari's proudest moments, and one she hoped she would continue to look back upon fondly. She couldn't fully relax while Brandon Kent's killer was still at large. He was the one who had orchestrated Jenna's kidnapping for whatever reason, and until he was caught Ari couldn't completely appreciate the gratitude being heaped upon her.

  At home she considered her schedule for the day as she examined her closet. She was scheduled to deliver two subpoenas for the law firm that had them on retainer after lunch, and she was going to spend the morning hours digging into Brandon Kent's life a little more. No matter how finished everyone else said it was, no matter how hard Lorne claimed the police were working on it, she couldn't just leave it be. Whoever had been pulling Brandon's strings used his gambling debts as leverage. They knew he would be the perfect fall guy. But how? And what was the goal in kidnapping Jenna Morris, of all the kids in the world?

  With the process-serving case in her mind, she chose a pale-blue blouse with a navy tie and suit pants. Lawyers liked it when she dressed professionally for their assignments. She pulled her hair back into a semi-elaborate knot and stepped into the bathroom to apply her makeup. Her dream of cavorting with a canidae version of Dale flickered across the front of her mind briefly as she stared at herself in the mirror, but she dismissed it. She fingered the leather of her collar, then tugged the collar of her shirt up so that it was mostly concealed. So far only a few people had commented on her new accessory as most who noticed it decided they didn't need an explanation.

  She decided she liked the collar. Dale assured her several times that she didn't have to wear it all day every day, but Ari had grown comfortable enough that she barely even noticed it. It was loose enough to stay in place even when she transformed, the risk of choking as her neck morphed remaining low enough that it wasn't worth worrying about. And in situations where she had to look professional, it was easy enough to cover or to make it look like a random accessory. All in all, it was a tiny price to pay for a constant symbol of their relationship.

  She adjusted the knot of her tie and went to meet Dale for their breakfast.

  #

  Milo had houseguests. She could hear them moving around downstairs, preparing one of their proper English breakfasts, but she couldn't be bothered to go down and join them. She pulled the blankets up and rolled to face the wall. She wanted to pull the plug on the whole thing, but she knew the stakes were much too high for that. She hated what she was trying to do with Ari and Dale. In the short time they'd known each other their friendship had become something solid. Now her handlers were downstairs to make sure she finished the job.

  She finally got out of bed but she didn't go downstairs. She felt like a child as she sulked in her nightgown, turning on the TV - quietly so it wouldn't be overheard and cause her to be summoned - and went to the window. It was covered with a thin sheen of frost but she could still see down onto the white-dusted lawn and the icy slicks that appeared her and there on the road. Winter had officially arrived and she was still spinning her wheels.

  Someone knocked on the door and Milo clenched her teeth, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against the cold glass. "I'll be down in a minute."

  Footsteps retreated but she knew her return to privacy wouldn't last long. She put a jacket on over her nightgown and pulled on a pair of leggings, deciding that was as much dressing as she felt up to. She went down barefoot and found Ben serving up a fry-up with a side of bubble and squeak. Her stomach growled despite her irritation; she hadn't been eating well since she saw the collar Ariadne had started sporting. No canidae wore a collar lightly; it carried a much deeper meaning than the Goth appropriators that had made them semi-fashionable.

  She took a seat at the counter and looked toward the dining room for her other babysitter. "Where's Gwen?"

  "She had business to attend." He passed her a plate and a cup of milk. "We spent a lot of time talking last night, she and I. We've decided we've given you more than enough time to complete your assignment. It's taking far too long. We're taking over."

  "No."

  Ben lowered his hands to his side but didn't look at her. "Millicent..."

  "Fuck it, my name's Milo." She stood up and said, "I'm the one who was chosen for this, and if Dale doesn't come willingly, then I'm out, too."

  Now he looked at her. "Don't be hasty, Mill... Milo. The consequences--"

  "Fuck the consequences. She doesn't know anything about what's going on. We're using this poor woman like she's a pawn. She has a right to be told, to choose. Maybe she'll choose to come of her own free will. Maybe she won't. But I'll not force this decision on her, and I won't manipulate her into destroying the life she's building. You agreed to do this my way, Ben. If you want to go back on that promise, then I'll walk right now. You and Gwen can find another candidate. Good luck with that."

  Ben was silent for a long time, gently twisting the knobs on the stove to make sure they were off. Finally he turned to face her fully.

  "By the end of the year, Milo. You'll have this done by the end of the year or we will be forced to accelerate matters. Remember that we're not working on a timetable of our own devising; we are operating at the whims of our enemy, and they're growing closer every day. Lives will be lost if--"

  Milo cut him off with a swipe of her hand and a grunt. "God, you're so fucking melodramatic. I get it. One way or another, I'll make it happen." She picked up her plate and the milk. "I'm going to eat in my room. If Gwen gets back, try and stick to the ground floor. I think I've alre
ady had my fill of the both of you today."

  "The end of the year, Millicent."

  She grimaced as she carried her food upstairs, idly wondering when the next flight to London left SeaTac.

  #

  Dale convinced Ari to spend her morning more productively and, once she realized it wasn't a euphemism, they swung by the office to pick up their gym bags. They both had memberships at the Wellness Center, which Dale had set up in the hopes that it might ease Ari's transition between human and wolf. They only went infrequently, but Ari was eager to have something in her morning other than Brandon Kent's financial records.

  The gym was practically deserted when they arrived, only a few intense-looking women on Stairmasters in the corner. Even in Lycra they seemed to be wearing power suits. One seemed to be dictating a letter into a small handheld device while another was in some kind of Zen trance. Ari assumed that her workout was the only time the woman let herself completely relax and felt sorry for them as she followed Dale to an area where they could stretch.

  Dale was in tight shorts and a yellow tank top over a sports bra, her hair tied back in a ponytail that bounced with every step. She glanced back and caught Ari staring at her and smiled.

  "Hey. Focus."

  "Sorry. All those times we came here and I fought against ogling you. Now that I have permission, it's hard not to."

  Dale turned around and walked backward with her arms crossed over her breasts. "I never gave you permission to ogle. You have to earn that."

  "Right. My apologies."

  Dale shook a finger at her and sat down. Ari sat in front of her and they stretched their legs out in a wide V pattern. Dale placed her ankles on top of Ari's. Ari leaned to the right and hooked her fingers around her sneaker, while Dale leaned to her right. Ari held the pose for a moment and then they switched to the left. Ari felt the burn in her thighs and lower back, felt the loosening of the muscles as she pushed herself just a little lower, held it just a little longer, and then released the hold with a sigh.