by Robin Roseau
She ran that through her head at least twice, and then I pulled her into a hug. She was very gentle. I didn't correct her.
I turned to Lara, and she was having the same problem. I turned her to face me. "Kiss me," I ordered.
She looked away.
"Lara! Kiss me! Now!"
She turned to face me. "Or tell me you don't want me anymore, and I'll leave."
"Mine!" she screamed, and then her mouth was on mine, her arms around me, and she was firm, but gentle at the same time.
I let her ravage my mouth. She tasted good. Salty. Or maybe that was me.
I pulled away. "Thank you," I said. "Does that mean you still want to marry me?"
"Yes," she said.
"Tonight?"
"Yes."
"Good. Alpha, I must confess to six murders in your territory."
No one said everything at first, and I watched Lara carefully as she considered how to respond. She glanced once at Elisabeth, then at Vivian, and found some answer from both of them.
"Were they all hunting you?" she asked me.
"Yes."
"Elisabeth, how long has it been pack policy that the lesser weres were to be safe in our territory?"
"Mom campaigned for it. Dad made it pack law two years before-"
Vivian spoke up "Seventeen years," she said.
"What is the sentence for someone caught breaking that policy?"
"It depends on the depth of the infringement," explained Elisabeth. "Harassment starts with a visit from me. But if they are actively engaged in hunting or killing other weres, the penalty is death."
"What happened," Lara asked her, "after the incident in the bar last summer?"
"David was still the head enforcer," Elisabeth said. "He handled it. He visited the most egregious offenders and had a chat with them."
"Chat?" I asked. "A chat?"
"That was a euphemism," Lara said, "for 'he beat the crap out of them'."
"The less egregious offenders received a friendlier visit," Elisabeth explained.
Lara turned to me. "If the wolves you killed were hunting you, that is considered a death challenge, and you are fully justified in killing them. If they were hunting other weres, then you were justified in stopping them, and if you had reported it to me instead of killing them yourself, I would have executed them personally."
I pulled away and looked at her. "I hid the evidence, made it look like other things had happened. The first one, he may not have been yours. He stumbled on me. He was deathly stupid. I helped him get run over by a semi truck. The second one was in the winter. They tried to catch me while I was out doing my job. I killed them both with silver, then dragged them back into their cars and drove out onto the ice. I brought skis, and I knew where the ice would be thin. I got close to where it was thin, then I set the cruise control and jumped out after tossing my skies out. I didn't see it go in, but open water was only another mile and a half further."
"Shit," Scarlett said. "Do NOT piss off the fox."
"The third one, three years ago, I set a trail into Minnesota, made it look like they had used their credit cards there. But their bodies will never be found. I now submit to your judgment."
"Shut up," she said. "If they tried to hunt you, they broke my laws. Thank you for taking care of the vermin for me."
"In all fairness, the last ones weren't after me." I looked away. "I caught them hunting some other weres."
"What weres?" Elisabeth asked.
"I. Um."
"What?"
"If you don't know about them," I said, "I don't want to tell you."
She smiled. "We know about every were living in Wisconsin."
"These particular weres have a nice little cabin on a little lake near Tomahawk."
"Beavers," Elisabeth said. "Fred and. Um. Jane."
"Janet," Lara said.
I nodded. "I caught the wolves setting traps."
"They may have been after other things," Elisabeth said.
"Are we forgetting I have ears and know how to use them?"
She smiled. "You are sure?"
"Is the term 'werebeaver stew' too vague?"
"Fuck," said Lara. "God damn it! I am tired of fighting this."
"Oh do not take that tone with me," I told her.
Everyone stared at me, and the tension broke. It wasn't really funny, but we all laughed together.
"Do you have their names?" Elisabeth asked. "In case people are looking for them."
"Sorry," I said. "I never cared about names. I would have emptied the cash from their wallets, but I wouldn't have bothered with looking at identification."
We sat quietly for a minute, everyone lost in thought.
"Well," I said eventually. "This was fun. Who had fun? Raise your hands!"
No one thought I was funny all of a sudden. "Fickle crowd," I muttered.
I stood up, stretched, felt one rib pop. "Ow. Damn it. I have a question. Am I crazy?"
I looked around the room. "No," said Lara.
"Am I off the suicide watch list?"
For that, she turned to Vivian. "Yes," she said. "But you are on the daily therapy session list."
I looked into her face and nodded. "Now that I remember, will I forget again?"
"I don't think so," Vivian said. "Unless something exceedingly traumatic causes it. But you have an awful lot to work out, and remembering it is just a start."
"Do you have reservations with the alpha marrying me?" I asked her.
"Small reservations," Vivian admitted. "I would rather I had a couple of years of solid progress on your mental health. But I think you're going to be okay. If you don't start avoiding me again."
"I won't," I said. "Lara, this wedding day has sucked. Do you want to postpone?"
She looked up at me, and there was pain in her eyes.
"If you want to postpone, I will understand," I told her. "It's been a sucky day. On the other hand, if there needs to be another bride ransom thing, I bet I can outlast you."
She began to growl.
"Okay, bad idea," I said. "God, no one thinks I'm funny lately."
"Everyone is already here for a wedding," Lara said in a small voice.
I narrowed my eyes.
"I would hate to disappoint them," she added.
I didn't comment.
"Or return all the gifts."
"Lara," I said. "If you are having doubts, I understand."
She stood up, stepped over to me, and looked down into my eyes. I edged closer to her, invading her space, and puffed out my tiny chest.
"Do not be daft," she told me. "I have known I wanted you since the day you bit my hand, and nothing is changing that."
I moved into Lara's arms. "Anyone going to tell the alpha she's insane to marry me?"
"No way!" said Angel. "I am not getting between her and the woman she wants!"
I waited, and no one contradicted her. I turned so I could see Elisabeth, and she was smiling. I looked at Vivian. "So, does today rank up there as about the worst case you've ever seen of a bride coming unglued on her wedding day?"
She laughed. "Pretty much."
"It's nice to know I don't do things in halves."
We Are Gathered
Everything after that happened so very quickly, but I remember every detail.
We had two hours. It had been a long afternoon. The first thing to do was reassure everyone the unglued bride was glued back together.
"I'm on it," I said, and I called Sophia. "Alpha's house, bring whoever is with you, right now." Elisabeth unlocked the door. Then I called Rory and told him to find every enforcer he could in the next sixty seconds and meet us at the alpha's house. Vivian made some calls to the council.
We waited until Rory was there with Eric, Karen, June, and Benny. Sophia brought all the teenagers and several parents. They all entered the house cautiously.
"Listen up!" I yelled. "I am getting married in two hours. Don't be late. Tell your friends. Now get out of here
." But then I captured Sophia and Ava and pulled them into hugs. "I'm better now. I am sorry I scared you."
Then it was time to get ready. I thought I would be on my own for that. I had no idea where my clothes were, so I asked Lara, "Where is my dress?"
She smiled. "Will you indulge me?"
"Yes." I didn't even ask with what.
"Go to our room. Change into a bathrobe. Find something to entertain yourself for a short while. Some people will be along shortly. Do whatever they tell you to do. Do not fuss or argue."
I studied her face for a moment. She was smiling at me, and I could see the love. My "Yes, Lara," made her smile grow even broader.
I brought a book upstairs, changed into a bathrobe, and lay on the bed, reading. I fell asleep.
I woke to a knock and Angel's voice. "Michaela?" I was groggy and didn't respond, so she opened the door. "It's Angel and a few friends, Michaela."
She saw me on the bed, and they crept in quietly. Angel sat on the bed next to me. I opened my eyes and looked up at her. "Hey."
"You've had a tough couple of days," she said. We exchanged smiles, and I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
My room was full of women, all waiting expectantly, most of them holding dress garment bags, cosmetic cases, and the like. Scarlett, Abigail, Ava and Sophia were there as were Gia, Michele Lassiter and a couple of women I didn't recognize. No one looked ready for a wedding yet.
"How long did I sleep?"
"Only a few minutes," Angel said. "We're all getting ready here. Is that all right?"
"Lara told me to do whatever I was told. But don't push your luck." That earned some smiles.
"We've all showered," Angel said. "If we had more time, we would bathe you, but there isn't time."
"Where is Lara, and is she getting this kind of attention?"
"She is at Elisabeth's," Michele Lassiter said. "And yes, she is."
"Is my dress here?"
"Yes," Angel said. "We'll put you in it near the end. Lara asks that you allow us to blindfold you. She wants to be here when you see it for the first time."
"All right," I said.
"Shower first then. We will do everything."
"I don't think we'll all fit in the shower."
She smiled. "We'll let you do that part while we stay dry, but you are ours once you step out."
"Angel, I'm not fully comfortable being naked in front of this many people."
She cocked her head, studying me. "I don't understand that," she said. "You have an amazing body. Everyone has seen it when you shift. Why are you ashamed of it?"
"I'm not, but..." I moved my hands over my breasts.
She smiled. "Ah. Michaela, I think you're going to have to accept a few early peeks. The dress is to be worn with nothing underneath. But we can cover you until it's time to slide the dress onto you. Perhaps you will allow Scarlett and me to attend you in the bathroom, and then you'll be covered at least while we're doing your hair and makeup."
"All right," I said. "And Gia can help, too," I said. The smile that earned from Gia was worth any social discomfort I felt.
"Let's get started," Angel said. "First thing's first."
I heard the pop of a champagne cork, and a moment later, there was a glass in my hand. Soon everyone had one.
"I get the first toast," Scarlett said. She smiled at me. "To an amazing friend. We love you, Michaela."
They drank to me. "Thank you. And I love all of you." I drank, then looked at the two I didn't know. "Well."
"Oh," said Michele. "You haven't met? This is Maia. My sister-in-law. And Bailey. They're our experts."
We shook hands and I thanked them for their help.
"Okay, shower time, Michaela." Scarlett, Angel and Gia escorted me into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. Gia took my champagne glass; Scarlett and Angel undressed me. I had my back to Gia, but I decided to get it out of the way. I turned around to face her.
She stared at my chest, then she smiled. "They look nice."
"They're very sensitive. I am going to be so embarrassed the day they catch on something."
They laughed.
"I don't know if I'll keep them. It's just a little flashy."
"Lara is going to love them," Gia said.
"I'll probably let her decide," I said. "As long as they don't catch when I am a fox. Otherwise they'll be gone by morning."
Angel adjusted the shower temperature for me, then they ushered me in. "Take your time," she said. "We'll rush you if we need to."
I showered, not rapidly, but not leisurely, either. When I shut the water off, Gia was waiting with my towels. They dried my hair with a towel, and wrapped my body, then dried me, head to toe. I was powdered and buffed, then they slipped me into a pair of panties and a white slip.
Angel studied me critically. "You can see the outlines."
"Lara asked me to do whatever I was told," I replied. "But-" I was self-conscious about it. I didn't want to whine
"We'll add a thin bathrobe for now," Gia said. She slipped out of the bathroom and returned after a moment with my lightest robe. She slipped it over my arms then pulled it together in front and tightened the belt.
Scarlett handed me my glass, and I was ushered back into the bedroom.
There was a high stool waiting for me. I climbed into place, and they all began to fuss at me.
Maia did my hair. Bailey was there for makeup. "Lara has told us what she wants," Maia said to me.
"Okay," I said. I turned to Bailey. "If she told you to cake me in makeup, I will have a hard time doing what I'm told."
She laughed. "She told me understated."
I smiled and nodded.
Bailey studied my face. "You've been crying," she said.
"Yes," I said.
"I'll need a little more than understated to cover it," she said. "I'm sorry."
"Do you have a mirror?" I said. She nodded and handed me a mirror. I looked at my eyes and the crying was clearly obvious. My nose was a little red, too.
I looked up. "Someone? I need some food. Cold chicken is good, but whatever we have."
"I'll get it," Gia said, exiting the room.
I looked back into the mirror, then looked at Bailey. "You are going to wish all your subjects could do this." Then I concentrated on my face, first my nose, and the splotches disappeared over the course of fifteen or twenty seconds. I took care of the bags under my eyes next then the redness in my eyes.
I took several deep breaths after that. "Where's the food?"
"Right here," Gia said. I turned, and she had chicken cut up and waiting for me. I took a piece, then a second, and told her, "I'm good for now, a little more in a few minutes." Then I turned to Bailey. "Anything else I need to fix?"
She was staring at me. "How did you do that?"
I smiled. "Foxy secrets. But I can't tell now, anything else?"
"Maybe a little here," she said, indicating under my eyes. "Just a little more. If you can."
I nodded, and my face under my eyes smoothed a little more. My lids were still a little red, and I was able to further ease them as well, then in general eased my eyes so they felt better.
"Suck it up, girls!" I said, smiling at them. "The fox's tricks never end."
The primping began. The women all took turns entertaining me. Michele read from a list of antiquated directions explaining the duties of a wife, editorializing as she went. She had all of us in stitches.
Angel walked over, took the list from her, and ripped it into pieces, letting the pieces flutter to the floor. "We made a new list." She thrust it at Michele, who scanned it and laughed. "This is more like it!"
My favorite was: a dutiful wife will be a complete utter, royal pain in the ass given the slightest excuse.
"Amen!" Michele said after reading that one.
The women all took turns telling me what to expect on my wedding night. The suggestions grew increasingly ridiculous.
Then I received advice for a happy m
arriage, each woman offering one piece of advice.
"The happiest marriages," Sophia said, "always start with the wife's students. The students are to be taught, and cherished, and treated like the grandest little darlings they are."
I liked that one. Michele's advice was to make sure my spouse knew her place in the pecking order, in spite of my diminutive size. Bailey told me to allow myself to be loved. I almost cried at that. Gia told me to always remember I had friends, and at that one, I did cry, pulling her into a hug.
Bailey fixed the damage and told people, "Don't make her do that again. If you have lovey-dovey things to tell her, save them for after the pictures!"
Soon, my hair was done. I was to wear it down, and Maia hadn't had much to do. She had dried and brushed it then weaved ribbons in. My makeup took about the same amount of time. When they were done, they gave me a mirror.
I smiled and thanked them.
The rest of them were all getting ready at the same time. Bailey and Maia helped the others, with especial attention on Angel. When they were done, she looked stunning.
"Angel," I said. "You look amazing. I'm glad I didn't really cut your hair."
She smiled. "I'm still glad Gia was waiting for you."
I turned to Gia. "Nice toss with the net. You caught me entirely by surprise. Don't do it again." She laughed.
"Michaela, there are more customs," she said. "You'll feel that net again. But we'll warn you about the customs."
"Hmm?"
"Let's just say, major anniversaries for the alpha are not just for the alpha and her mate."
I laughed. "All right. But you better not wait for Lara to explain them to me."
"We won't!" Angel said. "We promised."
"Good."
They all finished getting ready while I sat in the chair. I drank two glasses of champagne, and then they took my glass and offered me anything I wanted. They had lemonade waiting for me.
The front door opened. Lara and Elisabeth announced themselves.
Gia slipped from the room and was back a few minutes later. "I told them to wait downstairs."
Finally, they were all ready. Angel and Scarlett both looked stunning in their dresses. They looked at each other, their gazes smoldering, and I wondered whether they would wait until they finished college to pledge themselves together forever. Gia saw the looks, too, and she seemed pleased about it.