by Robin Roseau
“I did. I’d play again.”
She smiled. “Good. Lara and Elisabeth, what did you think?”
Lara spoke first. “I think that if Celeste had stayed with Zoe, we would have lost. I understand Elisabeth picked the strategy for their team, and it was better than ours.” She turned to Celeste. “Do you understand what you could have done better?”
“I should have protected Zoe. I followed Rory and Angel.” She looked at me. “I’m sorry, Zoe.”
“It’s all right, Celeste,” I said. “You’ll be better next time.”
The girl nodded.
“Celeste, the games we play are often designed to teach you things.”
“Like when we stalk Mommy Fox, we’re learning to stalk rabbits and deer.”
“That’s right, ” Lara said. “For you, this game is a teaching game. When you’re an enforcer, you need to remember that your top duty is to protect your target.”
“I’m sorry, Mommy Wolf.”
“You learned something, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Mommy Wolf.”
“Good.” She looked up. “If Celeste protects Zoe, it’s at best a standoff.” She looked at Michaela. “Unless you’re allowed to shift, leaving you unprotected was a mistake.”
“My fault,” Michaela said. “I was going to hide, but after I sent you away, I realized I had to stay on two feet, and I’m easy to find that way.”
“If our strategy was better, why did we lose?” I asked. “Was it because I panicked?”
“No,” said Lara. “Once you ran, we could easily have driven you all the way to the house, but you would have had a horrible time. So I caught you and then spent time calming you down. That more than made up for a hundred yards.”
Then they all talked about different strategies. It was fascinating to listen to. They went in circles. Finally Michaela said, “It feels like we’re on the edge of a good game the humans can play, but we’re not quite there.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. “You’re big werewolves. You could just pick me up and carry me back here.”
“But that wasn’t in the rules,” Lara said. “And that would make it too easy.” She paused. “You did well once you calmed down. Are you going to panic again?”
“Not with wolves I trust,” I said. And I suddenly realized my entire perspective had changed. I saw Michaela smiling, and a moment later, several others. I joined them.
“Could we be a little bit rougher?” Lara asked.
“Not like you are with each other.”
“No,” she said. “We have to be careful with Michaela. She is very delicate, even more delicate than you are, but of course, she heals faster. Do you think we could treat you like we treat Michaela?”
“Michele Lassiter would let you,” Michaela said.
“I don’t know how you treat Michaela,” I said. I glanced at Elisabeth. “I let Elisabeth catch me last night. She let me surrender or run, and I ran each time.”
“I think she should see what we mean,” Michaela said. “Lara pick your team.”
“Four?” Lara asked, and she nodded. “Serena, Angel, and…” she looked around. “Scarlett, do you want to play?”
And so four wolves stripped out of their clothes and shifted. Michaela moved away from the fire and nodded, and then suddenly she was backing away from the four wolves, arrayed in front of her.
Then Serena leapt at her. Michaela wasn’t even looking, but she ducked and rolled under Serena the other way, but Angel leapt. Michaela barely avoided her, jumped to her feet, dodged Lara’s rush, but then got taken down by Scarlett.
Scarlett wrapped around her entirely and then — the same as Elisabeth did with me Thursday night — they twisted in the air so that Scarlett landed first, not entirely cushioning Michaela, but partially cushioning her.
Michaela pushed her away, jumped to her feet, and continued to scramble.
She was laughing the entire time.
They played for two minutes or so before I stood up and slowly walked towards them. Michaela got knocked down again and was on the ground, looking over at me. “Everyone freeze,” she called out, and the wolves stilled. She crawled out from underneath Angel.
“Accidents happen,” she said to me. “You understand. If you play rough with them, you’ll get bruises for sure.”
“You don’t have to do this,” said Elisabeth from behind me. “We can make other games.”
No one else said anything. “I won’t do as well as you did,” I said to Michaela. “You’re so fast.” I looked over at Elisabeth. She was watching me. I glanced at Eric, and he nodded, just once. I’m not sure anyone saw it. But I think he knew what I was asking.
“If I get hurt…”
“The pack will take care of you,” Michaela said. “We can make other games.”
“Let’s try it. Can they go slowly at first?”
Michaela stepped away. “Give her a chance,” she said. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Begin,” said Michaela.
Angel growled for just an instant and launched herself at me. She went from a crouch to flying at me, but I had so much warning I was already ducking before she jumped, and she passed over me as I fell to the ground. I jumped back up as quickly as I could, surprised I had avoided her. They gave me a few seconds, then all of them began stalking me, pushing me around the field a little. Then Serena growled, coiled her muscles, and leapt.
She knocked me down, but she wasn’t able to grab me, and I squirmed away, climbing back to my feet. But then Scarlett waited until I was ready and growled, and for the wolves, the third time was the charm. She took me down to the ground.
She twisted, just like she had with Michaela, but I landed heavily anyway. I made a big “oof” as the wind was knocked out of me, and then I curled up, trying to breathe.
“Halt!” Michaela yelled, and a moment later she was there, kneeling next to me. “Are you all right?”
I shook my head and continued to try to get my lungs working again. A moment later, Elisabeth was there, and Lara was sniffing at me as well. Slowly, I began breathing properly.
“Just got the wind knocked out?” Elisabeth asked, and I nodded.
Finally I accepted a hand up. I turned to Scarlett. “Good one.” I smiled. “What would the rules be for for that? I think if I get hurt, then I get to walk twenty yards in my preferred direction before we continue.”
Lara grunted.
“I’m game for more,” I said.
“No,” said Elisabeth.
I turned to her. “This is too rough,” she added.
“That could have happened last night. So I take it we’re not playing at all in the future?”
She snorted, studied me, snorted again, and then backed away. Michaela went with her. The wolves moved away as well, then began circling me slowly.
We played for perhaps five or ten minutes. I got knocked down a lot, and I was sure I earned bruises, but I didn’t get hurt. However, I did get worn out, and after Lara took me down one more time, I lay there, not getting up.
I was pooped.
Lara sniffed at me, but I just said, “I’m done. But that was fun.”
Elisabeth came over and helped me to my feet. I sagged in her arms, breathing heavily, and said into her ear, “I really need to go home, but I don’t want anyone to think I’m leaving because I’m upset. I’m worn out, and I have to get up early.”
“Zoe,” Michaela said. “What did you think?”
Elisabeth and I turned to her.
“Work on the rules,” I said. “I’d play like that, but I’d want my opponents picked carefully.” I gestured. “They were being as gentle as I think is possible, weren’t they?”
Lara flowed into human and stood up. Someone threw a blanket at her, then she turned to me. “Good job. I’m proud of you, Zoe. And you did better than I expected.”
“I had incentive.” I paused. “Angel and Scarlett, may I hug you both before I go?”
<
br /> They both grunted, and so I knelt down but let them come to me. I hugged each one of them in turn, exchanging a kiss on their furry foreheads for a quick lick on my face. “Thank you,” I whispered into their ears.
* * * *
We were quiet in the car. I leaned back and closed my eyes.
“Are you hurt?” Elisabeth asked after several minutes.
“Wiped out. I probably have bruises. I might be stiff tomorrow.”
“Take some ibuprofen and more when you wake up. If you get here a little early, I can help you loosen up.”
“Is that a euphemism?”
“No.”
“Damn.” And she laughed.
We didn’t talk much after that. Once we arrived at my apartment, she parked and then walked me in. Once inside, she said, “Were you going to shower? You’ll sleep better.”
“You can’t join me, Elisabeth.”
“I wasn’t going to. I’m going to get your things ready for the morning so you can’t forget them. I’m going to pile them in front of the door. Show me the suit you want. Then I’ll tuck you into bed.”
So I took my ibuprofen, showed her the suit, and headed for the shower. By the time I was done, she had all my things packed, most of the lights turned out, and my sheets pulled back. I moved to her, and we kissed. There was passion, but not too much passion. Then she walked me to the bed.
I then spent the next twenty minutes moaning in pleasure as she gave me a deep, wonderful massage.
She kissed the back of my neck and let herself out.
Pool Time
I actually felt okay in the morning, a little stiff, but not too bad. I had a few bruises, but they weren’t bad, and I’d had fun.
More importantly, I thought I was starting to fit in.
And other than one moment of panic, I wasn’t afraid.
I wasn’t afraid.
I woke with that thought, and it was a wonderful thought.
I believed Michaela. And Lara and Elisabeth and Karen.
I was safe, probably safer than I’d been since, well, forever.
I managed to get out of the house by seven, and I texted Elisabeth as I was getting into my car. “Leaving now. You said you could loosen me up?”
My phone rang five minutes later. I used the hands free to answer it. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Zoe,” said Elisabeth. “Park in my driveway. There are gym clothes in your bag. You can change into them, we’ll do a short workout, and I promise you’ll feel great.”
We chatted most of the way during my drive, and she was waiting in her driveway when I pulled up, her phone in her hand. We smiled at each other. Then she met me at the side of my car, handed me out, and then pulled me into a deep, lingering kiss.
God, she could kiss.
She left me breathless and had to steady me for a moment afterwards. She chuckled.
“Shut up,” I said. “Damned wolves.”
That just caused her to chuckle harder.
Her little workout did wonders. She had me do just a dozen of very easy reps with empty bars, and she helped to support the bars at the same time. It was just enough to move me through my range of motion and warm me up, and I felt really good afterwards.
“I told you,” she said.
A while later, back in my casual clothes for class, she dropped me off with Karen. “I’ll see you later.”
* * * *
Class was fun. Karen was a good teacher, and it was a joy to be in class with such smart kids. They took the material seriously while taking life casually and I found the combination refreshing.
We got a break at ten and lunch at noon. The kids teased me a little about my food, but then Monique said, “Zoe, will you tell us more about what you do?”
“Only a few minutes,” I said. “We’re here for diving today. But we’ll have more time if you guys have questions.” So I explained about GreEN, and all five of them, including Karen, listened intently.
It was Karen who asked, “Do you have a web site? A mailing list?” I wondered if Michaela or Elisabeth had primed her with that question. I wrote both my web sites and my email address down on the white board. I would find later than all four kids signed up for the GreEN mailing list.
I was deeply touched.
Karen taught for one more hour then said, “All right. Next, pool time!”
“Yes!” said Connor. He bumped fists with Layton.
“All of you should have mask, fins and snorkels. Raise your hands.” All five hands went up. “We’re going to head to the pool. You can leave your class materials here, but you’ll need your gear. Leave your gear in the pool area then use the locker rooms to change and shower. If there’s a qualified lifeguard on duty, you may swim for a few minutes while we’re fitting a few of you for some of your equipment. I think most of you are all ready, but I know we have to fit Zoe and Layton. Ready… Go.”
The kids ran. Karen and I walked at a more measured pace, talking quietly.
“You were good last night. Everyone was impressed. But I think that was still too rough for you.”
I shrugged. “I’m trying to fit in.” I paused and looked down. “Elisabeth is giving up a lot to date a human.”
“I thought that might be part of it.” She paused. “She knows you’re human, Zoe.”
“I know. I feel inadequate.”
“Do you want to know what I think? And actually, Portia and I talked about it last night.”
“You were talking about me?”
“Yes. I imagine you were quite the topic after you left last night. Portia and I think you’re trying too hard. Just relax. Don’t worry about any of this.”
“I wouldn’t want to play that rough all the time,” I said, “but I don’t want to come here and sit on the sidelines, either.”
“All right,” she said. “But you know you don’t have to play the rough games. Even Michaela sits out some of our activities, and Nick, Michele, and Benny play only the lightest of our games.”
I looked at the ground and said quietly, “I’m trying to fit in, Karen. And Eric told me it’s important to play. Wolves like to play.”
“Yeah, but we can break a bone and be healed an hour later. And you wouldn’t believe some of the things that have happened to Michaela, but she keeps coming back.”
“But-”
“If Michaela, Lara or Elisabeth tell you not to play, just don’t argue. Okay?”
“Of course.”
* * * *
“Hey!” I said. “What are you doing here?”
“Assistant instructor,” Elisabeth said. She gestured. Michaela, Lara, Angel and Scarlett were there, too, all in suits. Portia and Eric were also hanging around in clothes, and I presumed they were on duty.
I looked Elisabeth up and down. She looked damned good in her suit. All the wolves did. I felt inadequate. I asked myself what Elisabeth saw in me, but she eyed me appreciatively, and I decided she must see something.
I didn’t know what.
Then Karen called me over to collect the rest of my gear. She fitted me for a BCD — buoyancy compensation device — which is a fancy name for a life jacket used in diving. To that she added an air tank, regulator, and a weight belt with a few pounds of weights.
I could barely pick it all up.
“All right,” she said. “This is where you let wolves be wolves.” She looked around. “Who wants to be Zoe’s dive partner?”
Monique and Kaylee both ran over, which I thought was really sweet. They eyed each other. “I got here first,” said Monique.
“But she’s my table partner, so she should be my dive partner.”
“She’s your table partner, so you shouldn’t hog her. It’s my turn.”
“You’re going to get to go to Key West with her. So I think you should let me partner with her now.”
I laughed. I was sure they were just teasing. But it felt good they were fighting over me, even if it was in fun.
They both turned to Ka
ren. “May we work it out?” Monique asked. Karen nodded, so she turned to Kaylee. “You get her today, and I get her tomorrow.”
“Deal,” said Kaylee.
And I had a partner.
“All right, Kaylee,” Karen said. “Zoe can carry her gear, but I’m a little afraid it’s on the edge of what is safe.”
“I’ve got it,” she said. “I’ll set it next to mine.” And then she picked everything up, one hand on the tank and BCD, the other on the weight belt, and like it was nothing, she carried it all to the edge of the pool, setting it down next to a similar set. I stared.
“So easy.”
“Yep, and you’ll find that these kids will go out of their way to help, if you let them. So let them.”
After that, Karen collected everyone together at the benches to one side of the pool. “Everyone here can swim, right?” We all nodded. “Well, you all get a chance to prove it. You each need to swim two hundred yards. The pool is twenty-five yards, so that’s four times, down and back. No stopping, no standing, no hanging onto the edge, and no kicking off the walls on the turns. The minimum standards allow for no time limit, but I want to see at least a side stroke, if you can’t go that far in a faster style.” She paused. “Zoe, is that a problem?”
“Nope. I won’t win any races, and I bet I’m last today, but I can swim.”
“All right. Everyone pick a lane. Swim at your own pace, but stay in your lane. Start swimming whenever you’re ready.”
We all spread out, and a moment later, I began swimming.
I wasn’t a fast swimmer, but I was steady. I did something I called an energy-conserving crawl. Basically it’s just like the normal crawl, but I don’t flutter my feet so hard.
To either side of me, the wolves were much faster, and they lapped me at least once, probably twice, but I ignored them and just swam.
It felt good, and I could have gone a lot further by the time I was done. I finished my fourth lap and came to a gentle stop at the edge of the pool. I stood up and looked around.
The kids were together, talking, and the adults were standing on the edge, watching me. And I bet they were talking about me, too.
“Did anyone have any wagers on me?” I asked. “I bet you all thought I’d do some lame backstroke.”