Wolf Ways (The Madison Wolves Book 9)

by Robin Roseau

  -and from one blink to a next, she was a wolf.

  I stared at her, then clapped. “Oh Portia!” I climbed from the bed and hugged her. “Oops. I should have asked.” But she turned her head and licked me, and I thought that meant it was okay. I hugged her quick once more then sat back on the bed.

  Then I patted it and said, “Her girl.”

  She growled at me. It was a playful growl, but a growl nevertheless.

  “Oh come on, it was a joke. But I wouldn’t mind. I could scratch your itchies.”

  Instead, she shifted back into her skin; it was instant as well. When she looked at me, she was grinning. She hadn’t stopped grinning by the time she was dressed. Then she joined me on the bed.

  “Do you understand?”

  “No. You’ve been shifting slowly to hide your ability?”

  “No. Um. That’s where I was. Learning how.”

  “You just learned?”

  She nodded. “They taught Monique, too. Lara’s going to get shit from the pack council for that, but they taught Monique, anyway.”

  “Congratulations, Portia. It is congratulations, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Zoe, you might not understand, but this is a big deal. It’s a really big deal.”

  “Rory and Eric shift slow.”

  “Rory is really slow for an enforcer,” Portia said.

  “They haven’t taught them? They’ve been in the pack longer.”

  “I need to explain a few more things. Do you know how advancement works in the pack? Like how you become alpha? Or how you join the council?”

  “Lara’s father was alpha. It’s inherited?”

  “Lara’s father was alpha. It’s not inherited. It’s earned.”

  “So, like, she moved up the ranks?”

  “She did, but that’s not how you earn it. You kill the previous alpha.”

  “What?” I screeched. “She killed her father?”

  “No. She killed the alpha who killed her father.”

  I stared at her. “That’s horrible!”

  “Yeah, it is. It’s an old tradition. That’s how you get on the council, too. It doesn’t have to be a fight to the death. And there are members of the council who wouldn’t survive a challenge, but no one would dare challenge them because the pack would kill them for disrupting the organization. Do you understand?”

  “Not really, but sort of.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but that’s a little barbaric.”

  “It’s a lot barbaric.” She paused. “Zoe, when I joined the pack, I promised I had no political aspirations.”

  My eyes widened. “You promised not to challenge Lara?”

  “Well, I promised not to challenge Elisabeth. I don’t know if I could beat her. I don’t want her job. I can’t tell you how much I don’t want that job, and I really don’t want Lara’s job.” She paused. “I want you to think about a challenge fight when one of the two people can shift instantly to fur.”

  “You’re stronger in fur?”

  “Yes. A strong male wolf in skin can beat a weak wolf in fur, but a strong wolf in fur always beats a wolf in skin. Do you see?”

  I nodded. “They’re afraid Eric and Rory would challenge Elisabeth?”

  “No, but they’re both immature for their ages.”

  I thought about it. “Angel and Scarlett are instant. And the pups. Elisabeth. Karen. Lara. Serena. And now you and Monique.”

  I thought through the implications.

  “Michaela’s the teacher,” I declared.

  “You’re too damned smart for your own good. Zoe that is a pack secret times five. Do you understand? People know we can shift quickly, and we know of other wolves that do, as well. But you cannot talk about Michaela teaching us. Not with anyone.”

  “I won’t, Portia. You know that.”

  “Again, I had to be clear.”

  I nodded. “There’s a little more. They didn’t teach you sooner, and they just taught Monique. But they haven’t taught all the students, and not even Eric and Rory. Are they going to be mad?”

  “I don’t know. That’s not my problem. Can you figure out why they taught Monique and me?”

  “It has to be a trust thing.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’d trust both of you. It’s hard to believe they trust a 15-year-old before two adults though.”

  “Eric and Rory are both very solid in a fight, but male wolves have to deal with everything there is about being male plus everything about being a wolf. Those two have as much power as they can handle gracefully, and they both know it. It’s easier for a woman.”

  “We have our own hormones. Well, I do.”

  “I do, too,” she said. “And I produce a lot more testosterone than you do, but nothing like what the guys produce.”

  “How do you feel about it?”

  “I was stunned when they offered. So was Monique. Did you hear the howling?”

  “I heard howling. I can’t recognize voices. I didn’t know it was her.”

  “She must have shifted back and forth a dozen times, jumping around the room and shifting. She’s not very good at that yet. None of us are as graceful as Michaela. I’m going to have to practice. You saw I had to crouch down. Lara isn’t as graceful as Michaela, but she can shift in a jump.”

  I hugged her and laid my head on her shoulder. “Congratulations, Portia. I’m happy for you.”

  “It’s going to make everything so much easier,” she said. “It takes a lot of energy, so if I do it too much, I’ll get low blood sugar and have to eat someone.”

  “That’s not funny!”

  She chuckled.

  “But being able to shift to human and talk, then back to fur…” She shook her head. “It’s going to take getting used to. All my life, I’ve had to shift slowly, and now in one night, it’s instant.” She leaned against me for a moment. “It’s going to take time to absorb.”

  “I imagine.”

  She turned to face me again. “I want to tell you one more thing.”

  “Okay.”

  “As soon as we were done, the first thought I had was, ‘I can’t wait to show Zoe’.”

  “Oh Portia,” I said. “I’m touched. I’m glad you did. I’m so excited for you.”

  “I wish we could teach you,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head. “I’m just happy to be included.”

  “You weren’t before.”

  “No. I was scared. I’m not scared now, and it’s because of you.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad. I like having you around. Does this mean the next time I show up on your doorstep, you’ll open the door and smile?”

  I laughed. “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  “Did you want to help me make dinner?”

  “You’re not going to make me eat bean sprouts, are you?”

  I laughed. “No.”

  “I’d love to help.”

  Tough Conversation

  It was later, after dinner, that Elisabeth asked if we could talk. “Sure.”

  And so, we went for a walk. Neither of us said anything for a while, but then I realized she was leading me to the Lake Superior overlook. We arrived, and there were seats from tree trunks waiting for us. We each grabbed a log and sat down, staring at the lake for a few minutes.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “For what?”

  “Several things. I’m sorry how I treated you last Thursday.”

  I rotated to face her. “I’m going to forgive you, but I want to understand what you think you did wrong.”

  “You were already clearly terrified. I’ve never seen anyone as scared as you were when they carried you in.”

  “Not my finest moment.”

  “Yes, well…” She paused. “I knew you were scared. I understand fear, although not the way you do. I’ve never been afraid of dying, but I’ve been afraid of failing. I’ve been afraid of people I care about dying. It’s a different sort of fear. Some wolves know fea
r the way you do, but mostly we get angry. I don’t have a fight or flight mechanism. I only have fight. Do you see?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “You went from being terrified to fighting. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand any of it. They’d only been there to pick you up, and I didn’t understand.”

  “You should have, Elisabeth.”

  “I know. Zoe, I know. You’ve told me about the nightmares. Do you still have them?”

  “Not this past week, but yes. I had a horrible one last Tuesday. Horrible. I don’t want to think about it, so please don’t ask.”

  “I’m so sorry, Zoe.”

  “I want to know what you think you did wrong on Thursday.”

  “I should have been understanding. I tried to cow you. That works for wolves unless they’re dreadfully stupid and stubborn. You don’t respond to that. You respond to logic and a gentle, polite request. I’m sorry.”

  I nodded. “Thank you. And of course, you’re forgiven. To be honest, I had moved past that. I’m a little bitter about some other things, but not that.”

  “Well, I’m not done apologizing. I’m sorry for how I treated you when we were dating. You never should have gotten the impression I thought I was settling.”

  “Does that mean I misunderstood.”

  “No. It means I’m an idiot.” She paused. “I have a view of what I want, and I can’t get past it. The person I want shifts to fur.”

  I looked away.

  “Zoe, you’re an amazing woman, and this week you’ve really demonstrated it. You’re everything I thought you were.”

  “But it’s not enough?”

  “It should be. Zoe, it should be.”

  I turned further away from her. “I’m not sure I want to talk about this with you. If you think we’re going to get back together, we’re not.”

  “I know.”

  “And you have to knock some sense into your wolf. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes, Zoe. I hear you. I’m always going to be possessive.”

  I turned towards her, and I knew my eyes were flashing anger. “If you think I’m going to stop dating because your wolf believes I belong to her, you’re insane.”

  She held her hands up. “No, no, Zoe, that’s not what I meant.”

  “It sure sounded like that’s what you meant when you growled last Sunday.”

  She hung her head. “I know. I’m really sorry.”

  “Why did Harper run from you, Elisabeth? Why? Do you give off some sort of possessive scent? Am I somehow marked as yours? Does it wear off?”

  “You’re not marked,” she said. “I swear. But yes, I was probably giving off dangerous scents.”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  “I won’t chase anyone else away, Zoe. I promise. Harper’s the wrong one for you, anyway.”

  “You don’t get to decide that!” I screamed.

  “I know! I know. Zoe, please. Calm down. Please.”

  I stared at her, then stood up and walked a short distance away, looking out over the lake.

  “If you scare anyone else away, I will petition the alphas to let me leave Wisconsin, and I will demand they pay for my resettlement. I will refuse to ever have anything else to do with werewolf packs. I will never share secrets, but I damned well deserve a clean start.”

  “It won’t come to that. I swear, Zoe. I’m sorry.”

  I thought about it. “Why was Harper wrong? We were really getting along.”

  “She’s not strong enough for you.”

  “She seemed plenty strong.”

  “She’s a good person, but she has a history of getting walked over, and she manipulates relationships to repeat the pattern.”

  “She seemed perfectly sane to me, Elisabeth.”

  “I’ve known her for a long time, Zoe. She’s never had a healthy relationship in her life.”

  “Have you?” I asked.

  She was still. I turned to look at her. And she brushed a tear away.

  “Oh Elisabeth,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

  “No,” she said. “It was a fair question. My relationship with you was the best I’ve had in years, if we’re talking people I’ve actually romantically kissed.”

  “And we were kind of screwed up.”

  “No, but we’ve had our turmoil. God, I wish I could bite you.”

  I laughed. “That’s what they all say.” I paused. “I do, too.”

  “Can we be friends?”

  “I need a little more time. But yes, I think so. If you don’t chase away the next woman who shows interest in me. I think Monique has someone in mind.”

  She laughed. “I’ll let you decide for yourself about that one.”

  “You know who she wants me to date?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Tell me.”

  “No way. And don’t ask. If you gave Monique a date for a bribe, then you should treat it fairly. Don’t let yourself become prejudiced.”

  “Laughing about it sort of tells me a lot.”

  “Yeah, but you shouldn’t trust my judgment.”

  “Uh huh.”

  Monique

  It was a good weekend. I was tired by the time we got home, but when we were a half hour away, Monique asked, “Zoe, would you be willing to talk to my mom tonight? I know it’s kind of late.”

  “It’s far too late to drive into Madison and back, Monique.”

  “I’ve got her on the phone and she wants to see me. She said she’ll meet us at the compound.”

  “If Portia is willing to release me, I’ll talk to your mom with you.”

  “Go ahead,” Portia said. “But Monique, the alphas’ house will be busy. Why don’t you have your mom come to my house?”

  “Sure!” she said. “Thanks.”

  We arrived, safe and sound, a half hour later. Hugs were passed all around, and I heard from a few kids how much they enjoyed my classes. That was nice.

  Iris and Lindsey offered to take me for runs whenever I want, and Iris told me I could brush her, too. I told her I’d like that.

  I accepted a hug from Elisabeth. I missed her hugs, and I was subdued after, but then Michaela hugged me, too.

  “Thank you so much,” she said. “And you can count on teaching the photography class. The kids are campaigning already, so that means they’ll push their parents, and the pack council will cave in and find a way to pay you.”

  I laughed. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  By the time we were done saying goodnight, Monique had her bag plus my bag, computer and both camera bags. She was quite laden down, but when I offered to take some from her, she wouldn’t hear of it.

  And so, three of us made the walk to Portia’s house. When we arrived, we found a woman seated on the steps, waiting for us.

  “Faith,” Portia said. “You could have waited inside.”

  “It is far too nice a night for that, and I’ve only been here about five minutes,” the woman replied. “Let me get the door.”

  Monique carried my things to my room for me then came back and hugged and kissed her mother. The two held each other for a while, then they separated. “Mom, this is Zoe Young. Zoe, my mom, Faith Simpson.”

  She and I shook hands.

  She was a wolf, of course, and big, but not monstrously so. She smiled at me. “Monique said she wants to talk to me about something, and she wants your help.”

  “She does. Are you in a hurry? I was going to make a bite to eat.”

  “No, no hurry,” Faith said.

  So the four of us moved to the kitchen. I had a bag of soybeans in the freezer, so I started water boiling and put together the ingredients for edamame. “I want help with the spices,” and I got the wolves to help me put together a sauce for them.

  Then I turned to them. “So while that’s cooking, I believe Monique can’t wait to show you something.”

  “May I?” she asked. “Portia, may I?”

  “She’ll see it eventually,” Portia
said. “Yes, you may.”

  Monique was already working on shedding her clothes. Faith cocked her head and said, “Did you acquire a tattoo? We’ve talked about this, Monique.”

  “No, Mom!” Monique said. “I promised I wouldn’t.”

  “It just seems everyone around here has a tattoo,” Faith said. “But you will wait until you are sixteen and a proper adult.”

  “Yes, Mom,” Monique said. She made it sound like teenagers everywhere, but I didn’t think she was upset. She finally slithered out of all her clothes, then said, “Okay. Don’t blink.” Then she dropped into a crouch and a moment later, there was a furry wolf in Portia’s kitchen.

  Faith almost fell off her stool.

  “Oh my baby!” she said. “Oh honey!” She dropped to her knees and pulled her daughter into her arms.

  Then she held her daughter for a long time, her face buried in Monique’s fur.

  Finally she released Monique, who gave a quick howl of happiness then shifted back into her human form. She was grinning as she pulled her clothes back on.

  “Is this what we were going to talk about?”

  “No, Mom,” Monique said. “But I bet Zoe wishes we could teach her!”

  I laughed. “Zoe would like that a great deal.”

  “Faith, you need to call the alpha before you leave this house,” Portia said. “You may do that later. They are expecting your call.”

  “I understand. She’s going to explain this is a pack secret.”

  “Yes, but she wants to do it herself.”

  “Of course.” She looked at Monique. “I am so proud of you. I’m sorry I called you ‘baby’. You know I can’t help it.”

  “It’s okay, Mom,” Monique said. “You didn’t do it in front of the other kids.”

  About then, the edamame was done, so I drained them then tossed them thoroughly with the spices and some salt then tried one.

  Perfect.

  I tossed them all into a bowl, added a second bowl for the shells, and said, “Everyone has to try one.”

  Portia didn’t need encouragement. She grabbed one right away. “Good,” she declared. “But I liked the ones you did with a little more kick.”

  “What are they?” Faith asked.

  “Try one, Mom,” Monique said. “You peel the beans out with your teeth.” Then Monique proceeded to demonstrate. “These are good, but I liked when you used brown sugar.”