Fox Mate (Madison Wolves)

by Robin Roseau

  "I gave them a counter offer, but they denied it, and then punished me for it. That was the video you saw."

  "Do I need to pay your ransom, honey?" she asked.

  "This wasn't fun right away," I said. "But then it was. But the fun stopped."

  "You should have begged. I'd have paid if you begged, honey. You know that."

  "I know," I said. "Are they hurting you?"

  "This is pride for a wolf," Lara said. "If I were marrying a big male, he would take pride in how long I lasted."

  "I'm disappointing you." I started to cry.

  "No, honey," she said. "Don't cry. I'll pay your ransom now."

  "No," I said.

  "Honey, it's okay. Ava is the only one whose mother can afford the type of education they all deserve. I'll pay now if you promise to forgive them."

  "No," I said.

  "Honey, these are your friends, you need to find a way to forgive them. This is about pride. My pride to pay, your pride to take what they do. Your pride in me to take what is happening here."

  "They're hurting you."

  "You will know when it's time to pay my ransom, Little Fox. It's not yet. If you pay now, you dishonor me. Elisabeth was brilliant to do it this way."

  "Why is it the brides go through this, not the grooms?"

  "Traditionally, the brides don't have anything to pay, and the grooms won't break until you kill them."

  "You won't break, either."

  "No, but you'll know when to pay for me."

  "All right," I said.

  "Honey, you need to do whatever it takes to forgive them, because they are doing this for your honor. I know you don't understand."

  "Don't pay until I beg."

  "But you'll beg before you lose your friends. Promise me. Promise me you're forgiving them. Try to understand."

  "Angel, may I ask what the current ransom is as compared to the educations you are after."

  "Say goodbye to Lara first while we think about it."

  "I love you, Lara," I told her. "I already counter-offered once, you know."

  "I know," she said. "I love you. Forgive your friends."

  And then Angel took the phone away and hung it up. She sat down next to me with Scarlett on the other side.

  I looked between them, and they were all very nervous. I offered a wane smile. "Will you answer my question?"

  "It's about twice the estimated cost for each of us to earn our doctorates," Angel said. "We probably won't all earn one, but Ava wants to be a lawyer and Chloe has dreams of being a doctor."

  "Not a record anymore?"

  "No. We came down dramatically after we gave you the tattoo. That was our hint to Lara she should think about paying us. If you were a wolf, or if we thought you understood better, we wouldn't have come down as fast."

  "Is this normally a scholarship program?"

  Angel laughed. "No."

  I looked away and closed my eyes.

  "She's not going to understand," Scarlett said. "End this now. Maybe in a few years, she'll forgive us. I'm so sorry, Michaela."

  Scarlett got up and I heard her start to walk upstairs.

  "Scarlett!" I screamed. "No! Don't leave!"

  She stopped on the stairs. "Scarlett," I said. "Please come back. Help me understand. I believe Lara wouldn't allow this if it weren't important. I believe you wouldn't do it if it weren't important. But I don't understand!"

  I still felt deeply aggrieved, but I knew they loved me, and I knew Lara and Elisabeth did, and I thought if I could only understand why, this wouldn't be so difficult.

  She returned slowly, and I turned to watch her return. "Please, Scarlett," I said. "Please don't leave."

  She came back and sat down next to me again. I leaned against her, the tape crackling.

  "Was this about the money?"

  "Oh Michaela, no," said Scarlett. "It's about pride and tradition."

  "But you started doing such horrible things."

  "Michaela," she said. "You wouldn't want us to cheat you! Or cheat Lara! We could have asked for a dollar at the beginning, and Lara couldn't have been more disappointed."

  "Angel, when do brides normally break?"

  "Some break during the drive," she said. "We could have broken you that way, but we had all the nice things to do, and the party. But if we didn't like you, we could have put you in the trunk and made it a horrible ride. But-" she looked so frustrated.

  "All right, what is normal?"

  "An enforcer might last a few days. I don't think I will."

  "I know I won't," said Scarlett.

  "But you guys are being extra nice to me, aren't you?"

  "Sort of. We aren't really hurting you. But we know where your buttons are."

  "I still don't understand why you want to do this," I said. I was trying not to cry. "You couldn't pay me enough money to hurt either of you."

  And then I was crying again.

  They both leaned against me, wrapping arms around me. "Michaela," Scarlett said. "Let me explain once more. Please, stop crying. If you still don't understand, we'll figure something out. All right?"

  I nodded. Ava helped me clean up from crying, then I looked at Scarlett.

  "Imagine that Lara were marrying, oh, James Berg for instance."

  "Who is James Berg?"

  "Ron Berg's son."

  "All right," I said.

  "James and his family deserve to know they are getting a strong wolf. You understand?"

  "Everyone knows Lara is strong!" I replied.

  "I know, but what if they didn't? Remember, this is a tradition."

  "All right. Like an arranged political marriage."

  "Right. So, Lara's sisters and friends would want to make sure James and his family knew they were getting a strong wolf, someone who James could count on to protect his young. Someone worthy."

  I snorted.

  "I know, strength is a stupid measurement of worth. But you understand so far?" Scarlett said.

  "I guess." I sighed deeply. "Yes, I understand."

  "So Lara's sisters and all her closest female friends would demonstrate to James, look how strong she is. The rougher they can be with her, the stronger she is. The people who love her so much know how strong she is, and they are helping her to show off."

  I considered what she said and I started to cry again. "I'm not measuring up. Oh god, everyone knows it, too."

  "Shh," Scarlett said. "No one expects that sort of strength from you. But honey, Lara is owed other strength from you."

  "We're trying to help you show the strength Lara needs from you," Angel said. "The strength the pack needs to know you have."

  "What strength?" I asked. "I'm not strong like a wolf."

  "No," Scarlett said. "But you are clever and brave. But you aren't always very tolerant of our customs, and that grates with people. Even those of us who love you are sometimes hurt by your reactions, Michaela."

  "We need you to be more resilient," Angel said. "Lara needs that, too."

  "Why the ransom?" I asked. "Elisabeth is asking such a deep price. I know it's nothing to her, she wouldn't think twice about the cost of my house. But she must know it's important to me."

  "If you were James," Scarlett said. "Then you need to show that you value Lara. Do you understand?"

  I took a deep breath. "I don't know. I am trying. Kiss me, you two, and I promise I'll beg before I let this destroy our friendships."

  The tension disappeared immediately. I got hugs and kisses.

  "All right," I said. "How are you going to entertain me?"

  Angel's phone buzzed.

  "Oh no," I said, my face falling. "No. Not so soon."

  "It's been over an hour," Angel said softly. "Are you going to beg?"

  "No."

  "If she doesn't pay, we're going to spin you until you are sick. We won't stop. You'll throw up eventually. It's not pleasant."

  I closed my eyes and didn't say anything. Angel called Elisabeth while walking up the stair
s. I waited in dread. She returned almost immediately.

  "She declined," Angel said. "Michaela, please beg her to pay. Please."

  "No."

  "Please, Michaela. We don't want to do this."

  "No."

  She sighed, and then she held the phone to my ear. "Hello, Elisabeth."

  "You've gotten stubborn again."

  "Yes."

  "Your house," Elisabeth said. "And your throat."

  "No."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Elisabeth, is it common to expect a groom to give up half of his net worth the day before his wedding?"

  She was quiet for a while. "You're not the groom, and you're about to marry someone very wealthy."

  "That's her money, not mine, but whatever. Is it common to ask a groom to pay something he spent eight years building?"

  "Michaela," Elisabeth replied. "You are marrying the alpha. You have to expect a significant price. You have three things of significant value: your house, your throat, and your cash. And frankly, the amount of cash you have is an insulting amount for the alpha. I am not letting you have my sister for a song, Michaela."

  "I see. Hang up, Angel," I said.

  Angel hung up the phone.

  "Please, Michaela. It's time to beg."

  "No."

  She sighed, and they picked me up, carried me into the other room, and hooked my feet. They let me dangle straight down.

  "Please, Michaela," Angel said. "Please at least tell us you understand."

  "I don't know. Do it."

  "Michaela, I don't want to lose you as a friend. I love you."

  "I love you too. Do it."

  I closed my eyes, and I felt their hands on me. They started easy at first. Four turns. I hated it, but I thought about Lara. They had all done this. And I wanted them to be proud of me. It wasn't about being proud of myself, it was needing their pride in me.

  I hated the spinning. They let the four spins come to a stop, then it was six turns around, and still I said nothing. And then eight. And then they started counting out loud as they wound me up. Ten. And I felt the bile start, but I clamped my lips shut. Then twelve turns, and I made not a sound. And then it was twelve turns again. And a third time. And then the fourth time, they added a sway.

  And I sprayed them all as I threw up while spinning around.

  They stopped me instantly, although there were cries of "Oh my god!" I felt strong arms lift me up, and they unhooked me, and then I continued to retch as they held me.

  Once I was done, they carried me into the bathroom and helped me rinse my mouth and washed me off. I opened my eyes, and they had all stripped out of their pants and shoes. Scarlett was washing her feet.

  They stood me up, and Angel pulled me into her arms. "Still friends?"

  "Tell me you filmed that."

  "Oh yeah," she said. "You rocked!"

  "Literally."

  "Am I doing better?"

  "Yes, honey," she said. "You're doing better."

  They carried me into the sitting room. I could smell the retch from the other room. "That smell must really bother you guys," I said.

  Angel laughed. "Yes, the next time we spin you, you're going to be hanging over it."

  "How much to get you to clean it up and use some air freshener?"

  She laughed. "Ten grand."

  "Two. It has to smell far worse to all of you than it does to me."

  "Done," said Scarlett, laughing. "All of it to whomever cleans it up."

  "I'll do it," said Abigail. Then Sophia offered to help, and the two of them took care of the mess. It took a while for the smell to waft away, even after liberal doses of air freshener.

  "My mouth tastes like crap. May I have some lemonade?"

  Angel laughed and gave me as much as I wanted.

  "I want to propose the next game."

  "What?" asked Ava.

  "Strip poker."

  That earned more laughter. "What are you offering to take off?"

  I looked down. "Well, I'm wearing all this tape."

  "Good one," said Abigail, reentering the room.

  "How about stories of the first person we each had a crush on?" I suggested. "I'll go first. I was eleven or twelve. There was another fox family living a few valleys away from ours. Our families used to do things together. They had a boy, maybe a year or two older than I was, and he was a beautiful fox."

  "As they all are," Scarlett suggested.

  "Oh no," I said. "My sister's fur was, well, ratty."

  "It wasn't," she said.

  "It was. I got the looks. So, this fox boy was named Jimmy. Um. Jimmy Longtail."

  "Did he have a long tail?" Scarlett asked.

  "No more than usual," I said. "Um. It was a surname though. Maybe his grandfather did. Or maybe it was a euphemism."

  That earned some chuckles.

  "I used to talk my sister into letting us hunt in the direction of Jimmy's house, just in case I could see him. Of course, I was just a little kid, and I think even as beautiful as I was, he liked my sister, Jean, instead."

  "What happened?" Ava asked.

  "They moved away. I think they tried to convince my parents to move, too, but my dad was pretty stubborn. I don't know what happened to him after that. I haven't even seen another fox in twelve years or so."

  "Wow," Scarlett said. "My turn." She blushed. "I used to have a crush on Lara."

  "Really?" I said. "Does she know?"

  "I don't know. She sees everything. Maybe."

  One by one, they told about their first crush, some of them giving stories.

  And then my stomach rumbled.

  "Oh god," I said.

  "We're not spinning you next," Angel said. "Promise. Would you like a sandwich?"

  "Am I going to regret it?"

  "I won't promise for the time after this one, but no, you won't regret it for this one."

  "A light sandwich would be nice."

  "I'll make them," Sophia offered. Scarlett agreed to help, and the two went upstairs.

  We finished our stories about the same time Sophia and Scarlett returned with our lunches. They fed me, poured more lemonade into me, and the phone buzzed.

  I stared at it.

  Angel moved to sitting on the coffee table in front of me. "Michaela, do you understand?"

  "Not entirely, but yes."

  "We're stepping it up then," she said. "You understand." I nodded. "You don't heal like a wolf, Michaela, and your pain sensitivity is much higher than ours." She grabbed the scissors from the coffee table and began cutting the tape over my knees, not freeing my leg, but exposing both of my knees.

  "What are you doing?"

  She looked at me, and I read a great deal of indecision. "I only have one more fox-like trick, and I don't want to use it yet. I don't want to use it at all."

  The other girls were clustered around me. Angel nodded, and Ava wrapped her arms around me from behind the sofa. Sophia and Abigail knelt on the sofa and helped pin me into place. Scarlett took solid hold of my feet.

  I looked between all of them. "Aren't you going to ask Lara first?"

  "You asked what I am doing. I am going to give you a taste." Angel set one hand on my knee and began squeezing. She started soft, but then she slowly tightened her grasp. Angel was a werewolf, and she was very strong. I was sure she could crush my bones in her hand if she tried. What she was doing hurt. I clamped my lips and eyes shut, but tears began leaking out of the corner of my eyes.

  Then she released me.

  "We won't break any bones," Angel said softly. "If Lara doesn't pay your ransom, I will do that to both knees until you scream. Please make the video, Michaela."

  I opened my eyes. "No."

  "Please beg Lara to pay your ransom. Our price is reasonable."

  "I'm sorry. No."

  Angel didn't leave the room. She picked up the phone and asked to speak with Lara. "We've started to really hurt her, Lara. Our price is ten percent lower than the last time. Ple
ase pay the ransom. She says she loves us, and she says she understands. But I am not sure she does. You should have made sure she understood, Alpha."

  "I know," Lara told her.

  "The ransom is ten percent lower than last time. If you do not pay it, we will make her scream."

  "May I have some water?" Lara asked, presumably of Elisabeth. There was a pause, then she said, "May I talk to her? I need to know if she understands."

  Angel looked at me. "You heard that question."

  I nodded.

  "Can I trust you to answer the question and nothing else?"

  I nodded. Angel leaned forward and pressed the phone to my ear.

  "Lara," I said. "Yes and no. I think I understand enough." I looked at Angel. "Please mute the phone."

  Angel took the phone, told Lara to wait a minute, then hit a button on the face of it.

  "I want permission to explain more," I told her.

  "What do you want to say?"

  "I want her to know I will make her proud of me. And maybe you'll let me tell her I love her."

  Angel looked at the other girls. There were several nods. She looked into my eyes. "Nothing else." And I nodded agreement.

  She unmuted the phone and held it to my ear. "Lara, can you hear me?"

  "Yes, Little Fox."

  "I want you to know, I will make you proud of me. I love you."

  "I am already proud of you," Lara said. "And I love you, too."

  I looked into Angel's eyes, and she took the phone back. "Lara, will you pay the ransom?"

  "Not at this time, Angel. Please be careful."

  There was a shuffling from the other end, then Elisabeth was talking to Angel. I listened to Elisabeth's demands, told her calmly, "No." Angel hung up and set the phone aside.

  "Michaela," she said a little sadly.

  "I'll make you proud, too, Angel," I said. I closed my eyes. "Hold me tightly."

  There was a kiss on my cheek, I think from Sophia. Arms tightened on me. Scarlett took firm hold of my ankles. Then Angel set her hands on my knees.

  "If you promise to beg Lara to ransom you," Angel said. "I'll stop. I need to know you understand."

  "I understand." Then I clamped my lips together.

  She started squeezing, gently at first, then harder and harder. I struggled, but they held me tightly. I began panting, first through my nose, then through clenched teeth. But I didn't scream.

  It went on and on.

  "I can't squeeze any harder," Angel said. "I'm afraid I'll really damage."