Fox Mate (Madison Wolves)

by Robin Roseau

  "We got distracted," Lara said.

  Elisabeth chuckled. "So I heard. You two don't help each other now. Two separate kidnappings. You should have been in different rooms."

  Lara kissed the back of my head. "Good luck, Little Fox," she said.

  "Michaela," Elisabeth said. "There is a great deal of pride when the bridesmaids show up in short hair. Try to escape."

  I nodded.

  "Do it," said Elisabeth in a normal voice.

  No one asked my opinion.

  The room exploded into action, filling with wolves. As soon as I felt hands clasp my ankles through the bed covers, I kicked away. I snapped my teeth in Angel's face, and she fell backwards away from me in surprise. I rolled off the bed at the same time I felt Lara pulled away from me. I fell to the floor and narrowly avoided Angel pouncing on me. I rolled, rolled, rolled, and came out on Lara's side, surrounded by legs. I bit an ankle and heard Karen howl in surprise, then jumped to my feet and ran for the bathroom. It was a sturdy door, and I thought I could get out the window.

  Instead, I felt a hand in my hair, and Elisabeth pulled me into her arms.

  "Nice try," she said and threw me onto the bed.

  I bounced once, jumped up, and felt strong arms wrap around me from behind. "Got you," said Scarlett. "Surrender now and we won't cut your hair tooooo short."

  I got a chance to look around the room. Every female enforcer in the pack was concentrating on Lara. I had Abigail and Chloe Lassiter, Angel, Scarlet, Ava and Sophia concentrating on me. Six to one. Oh, that was fair.

  Ava and Sophia made a grab for my legs, lifting them up, and I was suspended above the floor with Scarlett's arms around me and the other two girls holding one leg each. I bunched my legs to my chest, Ava and Sophia struggling with me as I squirmed, then I pushed off as hard as I could.

  Scarlett fell over, landing on her back, her arms still wrapped around me, all hundred pounds of me knocking the breath firmly out of her. She gave an oof and released me. Ava lost hold of my leg. Sophia had managed to hang on, but I twisted, and she lost my leg.

  I rolled over and looked at Scarlett. "Are you all right?" I asked her. She nodded.

  "Worry about yourself," Angel said, and then she pounced at me.

  I rolled underneath her, and she landed on top of Scarlett, adding insult to Scarlett's winded injury.

  I tripped Ava, tangling her in Sophia's path, and then I saw Chloe and Abigail Lassiter guarding the door.

  I heard a snap and a howl of pain, and I glanced over. Lara had just broken Serena's arm. It would heal. Karen had a bloody nose, then I had to pay attention to my own situation. Angel was climbing off of Scarlett, Ava and Sophia were both climbing to their feet, and I had two wolves between me and the door.

  I feinted for the bed, dashed at Abigail, then pulled back. She clasped at me, allowing me to draw her away from the door. I grabbed her little sister, who was still smaller than I was, and thrust Chloe into Abigail's arms. I ran out the door, no one between me and freedom.

  Or so I thought.

  I turned towards the stairs in time to see Gia standing two feet away, and I didn't have time to react when she threw a heavy net over my head.

  A net? Seriously?

  I lifted my hands reflexively to ward it off, which was exactly the wrong choice. I got myself tangled, and then the net dropped around me. Gia threw herself at me, taking me to the ground, and then rolled me over several times, completely tangling me in the net.

  I squirmed and struggled, but Gia was a full sized wolf, outweighing me by half my body weight, and I was thoroughly tangled in the net.

  "Got her!" she yelled as my share of our kidnappers streamed out of the room. Sophia and Abigail immediately added their weight to Gia's, and I found myself face down in the carpet, tangled and not going anywhere. Someone sat on my legs. I heard the sound of tape being pulled off a roll.

  "No!" I yelled, and began to kick. But strong hands clasped my feet, and someone firmly taped my ankles together, working her way up until I was wrapped in tape all the way to my knees. I continued to struggle and kick, but they all outweighed me and they were all far stronger than I was. "No!" I yelled again. "Stop this!"

  Scarlett lay down on the floor, her face in front of me. "Michaela," she said softly. All other movement stopped except enough to counteract my struggles. I turned my face to look at Scarlett. "You couldn't have done better. Your hair is safe. We won't hurt you."

  "How do I know you're not lying? If I stop struggling, maybe that's permission to do things to me." I bunched my legs and tried to kick out while trying to untangle myself from the last of the net.

  "We weren't sure how well you understood the customs," Gia said from above me. "Scarlett or Angel aren't allowed to lie to you tonight. The rest of us are."

  "Angel?"

  "She's right," said Angel. "Scarlett and I don't get to lie. But we're not obligated to answer questions, either."

  I relaxed my struggles, catching my breath.

  "We're sorry," Scarlett said. "You should have been in pajamas tonight. The tape is going to hurt coming off. But we're still taping you. You can thank Lara for forgetting. If you were in pajamas, we could have taped only to the cloth and not your skin."

  "Who do I thank for ambushing me?" I spat.

  I heard a roar and the sound of something breaking from my bedroom.

  "Is Lara okay?" I asked.

  "She's fine," said Angel. "They finally subdued her. It took all of them. Finish wrapping her up now."

  Weight shifted. Hands shifted. They lifted me awkwardly, my chest and face still in the carpet, peeled the net back, and taped my upper legs. I renewed my struggles, but they were entirely ineffective. The girls were giggling and having a good time.

  "No higher," Gia said when it was close to getting really personal.

  Angel crouched down next to Scarlett. "Your arms are next, Michaela. If you promise to cooperate, we'll tape them to your sides. If you don't promise to cooperate, or if you struggle, we'll tape them behind your back. You are going to be like this for a while. Choose carefully."

  I began to hyperventilate and panic. I knew struggling was futile, but I renewed my efforts, squirming underneath them. My arms were pulled firmly across my back, and I went crazy when I felt the tape begin to wrap around my wrists. My struggles didn't even slow them down. Angel and Scarlett remained where I could watch both of them, and I focused on them.

  I screamed and spat "No!" at them, but they ignored me demands.

  They wrapped my wrists thoroughly, but I thought I could work them free eventually.

  "Michaela," Angel said. "You must not shift now. Your fox legs don't bend that way. If you shift, you will dislocate your shoulders."

  I nodded understanding.

  They rolled me over and sat me up. I tried kicking at them with my bound legs, but Sophia sat on them, pinning them to the floor. Scarlett and Angel clasped my arms while Abigail and Ava wrapped the tape firmly around me, pinning my arms against my sides. I tried to bite them, but Scarlett and Angel pulled me back, and Angel weaved a strong hand tightly in my hair. Abigail and Ava avoided my breasts but otherwise encased me in the tape from my navel to my shoulders, my small breasts poking out. Every time their hands got close, I tried to bite.

  "This is embarrassing," I said, still squirming.

  "Don't be angry," Angel said in my ear.

  "Easy for you to say!" I glared at her.

  "But it's all in fun," Scarlett said. "Please have fun, Michaela."

  "Fun?" I tried to bite her, but Angel yanked me away. "This fun seems very one-sided."

  They finished taping me. I struggled against the tape, but I was firmly bound and would stay that way until someone released me.

  "We're going to gag you, Michaela," Angel said. "We have a soft cloth that goes in your mouth, and then we are going to tape it in place."

  "No!"

  "Yes."

  "Please, Angel."

  "It's tradit
ion," she said. "Are you going to freak out?"

  "Yes," I said. "And if you ruin my hair, I won't forgive you. Please don't tape my hair."

  "There is a price for that request. If you cooperate, we will put your hair in a scarf. We may catch a few wisps in the tape, but most of your hair will be safe. The price is your cooperation."

  Scarlett added, "If you try to bite us again, we will be brutal, Michaela."

  I renewed my ineffective squirming and struggling. "Why are you doing this?" I yelled, trying to escape from them.

  "Shhh," Angel said. "Honey, it's tradition."

  "It's not my tradition!"

  Scarlett whispered into my ear, "This is important to Lara, Michaela."

  I stilled.

  Scarlett whispered again. "You are pack now, but you're still on the outside at the same time. Michaela, please let us do this. It will help. I promise."

  She was right about some of that. I was on the outside a lot of the time.

  After netting me, Gia had let the girls take over, but she crouched down in front of me. "Michaela," she said. "You flaunt your independence and reject many of our most deeply-held traditions. It doesn't sit well with some people. You can make up for a lot of that by accepting this tradition. The pack needs to know the alpha's mate will respect our traditions, even if she doesn't understand them."

  No one moved while I thought about it. Finally I said, "I'll cooperate if you promise not to tape my hair. But I don't like this."

  "No squirming then," said Angel. "Relax and let us finish this."

  "I'm not having fun! I don't understand why you're doing this." But I didn't squirm.

  "Tradition," said Angel. "We'll explain more later. Ava, Abigail. Hold her up." The girls shifted around, and I had Ava and Abigail clutching my taped arms. From behind me, Scarlett and Angel worked on my hair, pulling it together, then wrapping it carefully in a scarf.

  "Open your mouth, Michaela," Angel said.

  "Please don't, Angel."

  "Open," Angel said again.

  I opened obediently, and Angel reached around and gently filled my mouth with a soft, clean cloth. She tapped the last bit of the cloth in place.

  "We love you, Michaela," she said into my ear. It didn't feel like it.

  She used her hand to close my mouth around the cloth. Together, Scarlett and Angel carefully but firmly wrapped the tape over my lips and around the back of my head, around and around, even covering my chin and pulling my mouth more firmly closed. Finally Scarlett bit off the tape and smoothed it in place.

  I was completely, totally helpless.

  "She's ready?" I heard Elisabeth say from behind me.

  "Blindfold," Angel said.

  "In a minute. Lara is freaking out. She needs to see the little fox. Carry her in, let her see Michaela is fine."

  "Fuck you, Elisabeth!" I screamed into the gag.

  "Lara didn't explain," Angel said.

  "You'll have to, Angel," Elisabeth said.

  Angel took a breath. "If you struggle, Michaela," Angel said. "We might drop you. It won't be on purpose, but you're not so easy to hang onto like this. It's up to you. Even if you struggle, we'll try our best to keep you safe."

  I nodded understanding. And then several pair of wolf arms wrapped around me and they lifted me up. I gave up on my struggles and let them carry me back into my bedroom.

  I was turned away at first. They set me on the bed and rolled me over. Lara was there, wrapped up even more completely than I was, but they hadn't gagged her yet.

  Lara struggled to get closer, and they let her. She kissed my nose. "Are you all right, Little Fox?" she said. Her eyes were a little wild.

  I shook my head.

  "This is in fun," she said. "Perhaps more fun for them than for us. If you can set your pride aside, they'll make sure you enjoy it."

  I shook my head. How could she tell them this was okay? I glared at her. My heart was still pounding, and I really needed Lara's arms around me. I tried to talk, but nothing distinguishable came out.

  I bent forward, trying to inhale Lara's scent, but all I could smell was tape. I began to look around wildly, panic settling in deeper, and I began keening into the gag.

  "She's losing it," Lara said. "She can't smell me."

  Immediately Elisabeth climbed over the bed and pulled me into her arms. "I am Lara's sister, Little Fox," she said. "Our scents are very similar. Breath deeply." Elisabeth held me to her chest, and I took in great, wracking breaths, trying to calm my heart. She smelled right, but not entirely right.

  "This is in fun," Lara said calmly. I didn't believe her.

  Then Angel was there, caressing my cheek. I took another deep breath of Elisabeth then turned my head to look at Angel.

  "Let me have her," Angel said, and Elisabeth relinquished me into Angel's arms. I breathed in her scent deeply, and then Scarlett was there, and I turned to her, breathing deeply of her. And one by one, they each let me breathe in her scent, and I grew calm again.

  "Better?" Angel asked. I nodded. "We'll keep doing that, but there is a price."

  I opened my eyes wider to ask, "What price?"

  "Later, once we ungag you," Angel said. "You will kiss our feet. Each of us who has comforted you, you will kiss our feet. Will you pay this price?"

  I nodded.

  Angel kissed my forehead.

  I shoved back my tears.

  "All right. Lara wants to kiss you once more, then it's time to go." I nodded, and Angel rearranged me on the bed facing Lara.

  "Everyone here loves you, Little Fox," Lara said. "I should have told you about this. I grew up thinking I would be the bride for this, but not the groom, so it never occurred to me. It should have. I'm sorry. You'll be okay, honey. I love you." She kissed me on the nose, then over each eye.

  Hands pulled me away. They sat me up, and Angel was facing me. "We're taking you away now. We're separating you. We are going to blindfold you."

  I heard tape, and when I turned around, I saw they were taping Lara's gag in place. Angel reached out and clasped my head.

  "No, look at me, Michaela. Are you calm now?"

  I shook my head. She pulled me to her again and said quietly, "This is tradition, honey. I promise, I'll explain everything." She continued to rock me while I got my breathing under control again.

  She held out her hand, and Ava put a piece of cloth in it. It was a blindfold, the sort people might wear if they sleep during the day and don't want the sun to wake them. She lowered it over my eyes. "You can take that off far too easily," Angel said. "We're going to tape it. Your hair is still safe." And then they taped the blindfold in place using several wraps of the tape. They were very thorough, and I couldn't see even a small amount of light.

  "One more thing," Angel said. Then I felt hands at each of my ears, and ear buds were inserted in my ears. They packed cloth over the ear buds and wrapped my head in even more tape. "We're going to turn it on. I've tested the volume. We don't want you to hear, and it's a little loud. I am trusting you not to lie. If it's too loud, shake your head and I'll turn it down. If it's okay, nod."

  The music turned on, and it was loud. I shook my head, and it was turned down slightly. I shook my head until it was as loud as I could tolerate without discomfort, then I nodded. They used even more tape, and I realized they were taping the iPod to me.

  After that, they may have talked to me, but I couldn't hear anything except the music. And it wasn't very good music. I felt hands, and then I was picked up. I struggled briefly, but they rolled me over, set me back on the bed, and paddled my bottom three times. It stung. When they picked me up the next time, I didn't struggle.

  They carried me downstairs then set me on my feet, steadying me. They held me like that for a minute before the music turned off and Angel asked, "Can you hear me?"

  I nodded.

  "We planned most of this, but we assumed you would be in pajamas," she said. "Blame Lara. We are offering to cover you for the duration of your transp
ortation, but then we are going to uncover you again once we arrive. We are offering to wrap you in a sheet. The price is a new iPod for Chloe. Will you pay it?"

  I nodded and immediately I felt myself wrapped in a sheet. They tucked it around me, then Angel asked, "Better?" As soon as I nodded, the music was turned back on. They picked me up, and it felt like they carried me outside.

  I didn't know what to make of all of this. It was very strange. Lara had assured me it would be fun, but it didn't seem fun yet. Still, I trusted everyone involved. I wondered if that was a deep mistake.

  There was a moment of awkwardness, and I realized they were moving me into a car. There was shifting around, and I could both feel and hear the car doors close. I was stretched out across several laps, and then the car began to move.

  I began to panic again. I couldn't see, I couldn't move, but worse, I couldn't hear anything but the music. Arms wrapped around me and I felt myself pulled partially upright, and my nose was against someone's chest, and my face was caressed softly. I breathed deeply and recognized Angel's scent.

  I wanted Lara, but I loved Angel, and I knew she loved me. I buried my nose deeper against her chest, inhaling great gulping breaths of air, pulling in her scent. She rocked me gently, and I could feel her strength. She caressed me gently and allowed me to breath in her scent, and slowly I calmed down. Angel continued to hold me like that for a few more minutes, and I relaxed in her arms.

  And that was when she passed me off, and I found myself sitting across a new set of laps. That was when I realized, from the way I'd been passed between them, that we were riding in the limousine.

  I wondered where they were taking me. I wondered if Lara knew where I was, and if they were taking Lara somewhere, too. I wondered what would happen later.

  I could tell when we moved off the gravel road onto the highway, then the car turned around in circles, and I had no idea which direction we actually turned on the highway.

  I started to feel a little sick, and the thought I might vomit scared me. They would never get all this tape off me and I could easily choke to death. I began hyperventilating again, and as soon as it started, I was pulled to someone's chest. I recognized Scarlett's scent. She held me, soothing me.