by Robin Roseau
"Yes," Lara said. "The winning aircraft gets a shopping spree tomorrow."
"Excellent," exclaimed Angel.
There was a pause, then Lara said, "Elisabeth wants to make a side wager with you, Michaela."
I laughed. "And did you also want a side wager, honey?"
Lara didn't answer, but then Elisabeth spoke. "Michaela, do you remember my favorite wager?"
"I believe I might," I said. "It involves shopping."
"That's the one," she said. "If our team scores higher than your team, I want that renewed and made a permanent agreement."
Wow. "Seriously?"
"Yep."
"All right, with reasonable restrictions on frequency."
"Once a month for part A, unlimited for part B." Elisabeth had once won a wager that required me to buy the dress she picked out for me, and to wear it three times to events of her choosing. She had picked a bright pink dress I had hated at the time. Elisabeth wanted me to go shopping with her once a month, and I would be obligated to wear what she selected as often as she chose. Periodically, she had renewed this wager with me, losing more often than winning, but I knew it pleased her greatly when she won.
At first, I had thought Elisabeth simply wanted to tease and embarrass me, but Lara had loved the clothes Elisabeth picked for me. They were far more feminine than I typically wore, and even I had to admit I looked good in what she picked.
"Yes on part A," I agreed, "but you better have a really good offer if you think part B should be unlimited."
"I don't actually expect to exercise part B more than once or twice a month most months, but I didn't want us to quibble if I wanted to do so several days in a row for some reason. I won't abuse it."
"And what are you offering?"
"I'll help teach one of your classes a week," she offered.
"I pick the class?"
"Subject to my duties," she replied. "And I might be unavailable during times we're on high alert."
"You'll also help with the associated grading?"
"If you don't abuse it," she replied.
"All right," I said. "Agreed."
There were a few minutes of other wagers floating around. Violet made a wager with James and Karen with Portia. What can I say? Weres are competitive.
"All right," Lara said. "One last thing. Once you open your boxes of questions, you may cut them, but you may not reorder them. And periodically there are special cards. The questions on those cards are for the team captains themselves, and they must not receive any help at all from their teammates. We're on the honor system, but I know that none of you will cheat."
"Who came up with these special cards?" I asked suspiciously.
"I did," she said. "Elisabeth did the ones I will answer."
"All right, Michaela," Elisabeth said. "Geography."
We'd been playing for about fifteen minutes. Lara's team and mine were neck and neck; Angel's team was lagging. It was Elisabeth's turn to read another question. "Oh, a special one. This is for Angel. Angel and Michaela, no one in your aircraft is allowed to coach you. This is worth ten points instead of two." The radio was silent for a moment or two, and then when I next heard Elisabeth's voice, it sounded like she was fighting to contain her laughter.
"Angel, you have been assigned to Michaela's security detail. You know that Lara and Michaela just had a fight, and the fox is in a mood. She grabs her car keys, states she is going for a drive alone to cool off, and orders you to remain behind. Your alpha has given you a direct order. What do you do?"
The wolves in my airplane immediately began laughing, even Violet.
"That's not what the card says!" I exclaimed.
Elisabeth, laughing, got back on the radio. "I read it exactly as written."
There was a pause before Angel tried to answer. "You three can hush up," I said. I glared at Serena for emphasis. She didn't typically laugh at my discomfort, but she was wiping tears from her eyes. I stuck my tongue out at her.
"I refuse the order," Angel said, seriousness in her voice. "I do not allow her to leave pack property with fewer than two enforcers."
"That is so wrong!" I blurted.
"Ten points for Angel," Elisabeth announced. "None for Michaela. Angel, your team is back in the game!"
From behind me, Violet said, "I think we know what Lara and Michaela are going to fight about tonight."
The next special card came up in Angel's aircraft. "This is a special card for Michaela only," said Karen. "Ten points."
"Wait!" I said. "If Lara did my questions, doesn't that mean she already knows the answer. She'll know whether I got it right or wrong."
"Elisabeth will act as team captain for your questions, Michaela," Lara said. "She hasn't seen this."
Karen was chuckling when she read the card. "Easy one, Michaela. Remember, no one gets to coach her. What year was the pack officially formed?"
"What?"
"Do you need me to read it again?"
"I have no idea when the pack formed," I complained. "What kind of question is that?"
"It's a perfectly good piece of trivia," Karen said. "Do you care to hazard a guess? I'll give you a hint. Lara's father was not the first alpha."
I sighed. "1927."
"That is incorrect," Elisabeth replied. "The pack was formed in 1869 by Samuel Harper, a former civil war soldier. After the war, he went home to Pennsylvania, collected a wife, and moved to Wisconsin to start anew. Over the next several years, several more wolves arrived, and Samuel officially registered the pack in 1869."
"According to this card," said Karen, "Elisabeth is correct. Five points to Lara's team. If it's any consolation, Michaela, I didn't know, either. I had to read the card."
I got the next special. "Finally," I said, "A question for Lara." I sighed. "Lara, the card asks, 'What is Michaela's height in bare feet, not counting the hair?' Very funny, Elisabeth. You have to guess within a half inch. It's only worth five points though."
"Four-feet, eleven and three-quarters," Lara answered immediately.
"Lara is right," Angel answered just as immediately.
I flipped the card over to see if Elisabeth had picked a different answer. She'd written, 'Fifty-nine and a half, not counting the attitude'. "Five points for Lara, two and a half for Angel," I said.
We were now officially in last place by a couple of points. To my passengers, I said, "They cheat." My passengers didn't respond.
A few minutes later, Elisabeth said, "I have an easy special for Michaela. Michaela, what is Francesca's middle name?"
"What?" I asked. "Seriously?"
"You've known her for six years," Lara said. "She prepares half your meals and manages your house. At your wedding you referred to her as surrogate mother to both brides. And you don't know her name?"
I made a wild guess. "Marie."
Several seconds later, Angel said quietly, "Michaela is right."
I wasn't going to tell anyone I had guessed.
Other than the special questions, the game was actually pretty fun. But then Lara said, "Okay, we're a half hour from St. Louis. We have time for one more round of questions. Then we need to start our descent and focus on flying."
Elisabeth's question was for Angel's team. Mine was for Lara's. They both got them right. Then Angel said, "I have a special for Lara." She began laughing. "Lara, you and the fox have had a fight. Whose fault is it?"
"Mine," Lara said immediately.
"Damn right it is," I confirmed.
"That is correct," Angel confirmed. "Ten points to Lara, five to Michaela. Who won, Elisabeth?"
"In first place, with one hundred and twenty-seven points, team Lara. Michael's team has ninety-one; Angel's has eight-seven. A close fight for second. I can't wait to go shopping!"
Bourbon Street
We arrived safely in New Orleans, landing at a regional airport near the waterfront shortly before four in the afternoon. Deirdre met us at the airport, offering many of us warm hugs and kisses.
> With her were two human women named Anika and Joanna. Anika appeared to be Japanese-American and was my size with straight, black hair and bright eyes. She was stunning. Joanna was tall, with beautiful skin the color of dark molasses and a voice to match. I caught Eric repeatedly sneaking glances at her, and Joanna was returning the looks.
"If you will have them," Deirdre said, "Anika and Joanna will be your guides while you are here. If you require anything at all, you need only ask them. They have Carissa's utmost confidence, and you can safely trust them."
I took that to mean they were blood thralls; if so, I knew from personal experience neither of them could betray Carissa's desires. That didn't mean we were safe with them, but I had long decided to take Carissa at her word. I glanced to Lara and nodded once but let her decide.
"That would be wonderful," Lara said. "We would like a chance to clean up and change clothes, and then dinner would be lovely."
There were two stretch limousines waiting for us. The wolves handled the luggage, and then we all climbed in. I found myself between Deirdre and Lara. I turned to her and hugged her again. "I'm so happy to see you," I told her. "Did Carissa tell you my question?"
"She did," Deirdre said. "But she also doesn't want me talking to you about that tonight. She wishes to partake in the discussion."
I was disappointed by the answer, but I thought that also was a good sign. I tried to tamp down my impatience.
"Will you be able to spend time with us?" I asked.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I am to show you to the house, but then I am full of duties until after the party. However, the next day is a rest day for me, and you may have me all day if you wish to stay."
We'd actually planned on returning immediately. I looked over at Lara, and she nodded once.
"Excellent," Deirdre said. "I'm so glad you could come!"
Anika and Joanna were excellent drivers. They offered a verbal tour of the route from the airport, and we soon found ourselves in the French Quarter. There was a pause, then we drove through a gated archway and came to a stop.
"We're here," Anika told us.
While the enforcers did their jobs, Deirdre explained. "Carissa owns a quarter block. This was Carissa's home when she first arrived in New Orleans. There's a garage." She gestured towards the right. "There are two large SUVs for your use."
We were completely surrounded by Carissa's buildings, and the gate had closed tightly after we pulled in. The main entrance for the home was to the left, and just past it was a small courtyard. The home looked much nicer inside the gate than it had before we pulled in.
With Eric and Angel guarding the car, we talked quietly, waiting for Elisabeth to give the all clear. Deirdre didn't seem put out that we hadn't trusted Carissa's security. It took about ten minutes before Elisabeth opened the door to the limousine, but it was Deirdre that led Lara and me into the house.
We stepped inside and I stopped, staring. We entered via a large foyer. The floors were marble, and there was an ornate, curved staircase leading to the second floor.
"Bedrooms and offices are upstairs," Deirdre explained. She led us to the left, and we entered a large library, the twelve-foot ceilings lined with bookcases. There was ample seating for a small army, and along one side near the window was a well-stocked liquor cabinet.
"Feel free to make yourself at home," Deirdre offered. She gestured to a bookcase with glass doors. "Those books are terribly old, so please treat them gently. There are gloves here-" and she opened a drawer in the bookcase.
Lara and I both stepped closer, looking at the books. I stared at one of the books. "Origin of Species?" I asked.
"That's a second edition," Deirdre said. "Carissa doesn't keep the most valuable books here, but you may find some interesting." She donned a pair of gloves then opened the case, carefully pulling one of the books from the shelves. We moved to a nearby table, and she set the book down.
"Alienum Creaturis," Deirdre said. "Robert Maldive, circa 1741. If the humans actually had a copy, they would think it was fiction." She opened the book, paging through for a moment, and then came to a page. There was a woodcut illustration of a fox. The text was in Latin, which I couldn't read, but I stared at the image. Deirdre smiled at me.
I glanced at Lara. Her expression was unreadable. I reached for her hand.
"I'm sorry," Deirdre said. "I don't speak Latin, and Carissa seems to hold the author in little regard. But I like to page through this one and look at the drawings. The fae don't appear, and many of the creatures are now extinct, but Carissa tells me everything in here once lived." She carefully turned more pages, coming to an illustration of what was clearly a dragon. "Hunted to extinction in Europe by the end of the fourteenth century, but they formed the basis of a number of Mayan and Aztec gods. The Conquistadors hunted the last of them in the new world at about the same time as the last dodo perished."
She paused, then closed the book and replaced it on the shelf, closing the doors and returning the gloves to their home.
"Well," she said. "I'll show you the rest of the house, then unfortunately, I must run."
The entire house was fabulous. Opposite the library was a ballroom. "There's a modern sound system behind that cabinet," Deirdre said. "If you care to dance." The walls were painted a deep green, and one wall was floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the courtyard. There were two clumps of chairs flanking the sound system, places to sit while changing into dance shoes or watching the other dancers.
I thought about being held in Lara's arms and smiled at her.
There was a formal dining room, but we didn't expect to use it. Deirdre also showed us the kitchen. "It's well-stocked, and as I said, make yourselves at home."
She led us upstairs. The house was in two wings separated by the foyer. The right wing wrapped around the courtyard. The left was smaller and contained two offices. I counted six bedrooms. Deirdre led the way back to the front entrance.
"The servant chambers are over the garage," Deirdre explained. "There's an intercom in the kitchen if you need to summon Anika or Joanna. You have dinner reservations at K Paul's in just under two hours." She smiled. "I hope you'll be comfortable. I'm so pleased you could come."
"Thank you, Deirdre," Lara said. "Everything is lovely." But her back was stiff. I wondered what was wrong, but I thought I could guess.
"Deirdre, I wouldn't suppose I could convince you to give me a hint about my question."
"I'm sorry, Michaela," she replied. "You'll have to wait."
I grumped good-naturedly.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Joanna and Anika will collect you when it's time to leave for dinner, but they will be about, perhaps in the kitchen, if you wish to leave early and spend more time on the walk."
And with that, she was gone.
I turned around, looking at the house. It was stately and stunning. I noticed Lara watching me.
"It's an amazing house," I said.
"It is," she agreed.
"Perfect for a vampire."
"I imagine so."
"Nice place to visit," I added. Lara didn't respond. "Nowhere to run. Can you imagine going furry here? I don't want to think about how badly I'd slip around on this floor."
"You were coveting the books," Lara observed.
"Origin of Species is a definitive work," I said. "It may be the most important book in the history of science. As a wolf, you understand survival of the fittest. But Lara, you give me everything I could possibly ask for. And how often do I ask for material possessions?"
She didn't say anything.
"This is an old house. I bet the plumbing at home is more reliable. You know how I enjoy a long, hot shower. I told you the story of my first hot shower, thanks to the Callahans."
I moved closer until we were almost touching. I looked up in her eyes and caressed her cheek. I took her arms and wrapped them around me.
"It's a lovely house for a city girl. But do you remember our first phone call when you asked me
out?"
She nodded slowly.
"Do you remember what I told you about the big city?"
She nodded.
I laid my head against her shoulder, my face against her neck, and sighed happily. "I love you, Lara," I said.
She wrapped her arms around me, stiffly at first, but she slowly relaxed. "I love you, too, Little Fox," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to feeling inadequate."
"Well, that's just silly," I replied. "You're perfect. Most of the time."
"What do you mean, most of the time?" she growled.
"Well," I said, pushing away. "You and Elisabeth cheated." I didn't wait for her response but ran up the stairs to our bedroom, knowing she'd chase me even before she realized. At the top of the stairs, before Lara could catch me, I hollered out, "We're leaving in ninety minutes."
Lara almost caught me at the top of the stairs, but I ducked underneath her, gave her a little push, which did nothing at all, but then evaded her twice more on the way to the bedroom. I let her catch me once we were in the bedroom. She picked me up, throwing me over her shoulder, one arm wrapped around my legs, my ass in the air, and my head hanging down.
I squealed and giggled.
"Take it back," she ordered. "I did not cheat."
"Cheated!" I said firmly. "Again."
With her free hand, she paddled my bottom, just hard enough to sting. I squealed in mock outrage.
"Cheated!" I accused. "Cheated, cheated, cheated! Now put me down and beg my forgiveness."
"I did not cheat," she said.
So I jabbed my fingers in her ribs. She knew I was going to do it, but she flinched nevertheless. I wasn't gentle.
"Put me down or you'll get worse," I threatened. I wasn't sure what 'worse' might be, but I'd think of something.
Instead of setting me on my feet, Lara bounced me on her shoulder a few times.
"Admit I didn't cheat," she ordered.
"You know you did," I said softly. "Lara, I've taken my last wager from either of you."
She stilled and slowly, gently set me down. "You're not kidding, are you?"
I looked up into her eyes and shook my head.
"I didn't cheat," she said softly, and I heard the hurt in her voice.