by Robin Roseau
"You changed the rules after letting me accept a significant wager from your sister, and you both knew about the special cards. You knew they were designed to tease me and they were worth more points than regular cards. I don't have a problem with the cards. I don't have a problem with the wager. But I have a problem with setting me up like that. I'm not angry, but I can't trust either of you."
I could tell that hurt as well.
"Michaela..."
I put my hand on my hip.
"But... the cards were funny!"
"They were," I admitted. "Are you suggesting they weren't designed to help you win?"
"I gave you questions you should know," she said defensively.
"You know," I said. "I agree. I should have been able to answer every single one of those. I am a pack alpha, and I should know the history of the pack. But I don't, and you knew it, didn't you?"
"Then I don't understand why you said I cheated."
"Fine," I said. "Call it what you want, but I won't accept any more wagers from either of you." I paused a moment. "Now, I think we should test the plumbing and get ready for dinner. If you don't mind, I'll take first shower so I have time to dry my hair."
Without waiting for a response, I headed towards the bathroom.
* * * *
I showered quickly. I prefer long, luxurious showers, but I didn't trust Carissa's plumbing. When I got done and stepped out of the bathroom, Lara was hovering near the bathroom door. I thought she'd been pacing. She turned to me, but I cut her off before she could say anything.
"All yours," I said brightly. "I'll get ready out here."
"Michaela," she said. "I don't understand why you're angry."
"I'm not," I denied. "Go on now; we don't want to be late. This restaurant is famous, and I'm practically starving. Will we be able to wander Bourbon Street after dinner? I'd like to listen to some music, and maybe there will be dancing somewhere. I'd like to dance with you."
"I didn't cheat," she said in a small voice.
"I already told you to call it what you want," I replied. "You're the alpha; you make the rules. If you said it's not cheating, it's not cheating."
"I didn't cheat," she repeated.
"Fine. I was wrong. I'm sorry I accused you." I said it tersely. I actually hadn't intended to bring it up, but it had slipped out. I wasn't going to fight with her about it. It wasn't going to matter in the future, after all, as I wouldn't accept any more wagers.
"Michaela?"
"What?" I asked. "You won. It won't come up again. Go on now. When you order for me tonight, I want étouffée. I suppose crawfish aren't in season. I've heard something about sucking the heads, but I've never done it."
She turned for a moment, then finally turned to the bathroom. A minute later, I heard the shower.
I dug out my hair dryer and started on my hair. A few minutes in, with Lara still in the shower, there was a knock at the door, and a moment later it opened, admitting Elisabeth. I looked over my shoulder at her for a moment, but didn't stop drying my hair.
She was grinning broadly, and when she stepped in, I saw she had an outfit for me to wear. She had one of my pink strapless maxi dresses and was holding a set of heels by the straps.
I shut off the dryer. "You came prepared."
She just grinned more widely and set them on the bed. I turned away and returned to drying my hair. She hovered for a moment, then stepped out, closing the door behind her.
I was still drying my hair when Lara finished in the shower. She spent a few more minutes in the bathroom. My hair was as dry as I was going to bother, so I shut off the dryer as the bathroom door opened.
"Hey, sexy wolf," I said.
She stopped in the doorway. "What's that?" She gestured to the bed, or more exactly to the clothing waiting for me.
"Elisabeth came prepared," I said. "I guess that's what I'm wearing tonight. You'll get to feast your eyes on my naked shoulders." I wagged my eyebrows at her.
Lara turned away. We shared a suitcase and garment bag. The bag hung from a hook on the back of the door, and the suitcase was sitting open on a table near the door. She unpacked both, making use of a wardrobe in the corner and a dresser underneath the window. I went back into the bathroom to work on my hair for a few minutes. Lara was dressed by the time I returned to the bedroom. She stood quietly watching me get dressed.
When I sat down on the bed to pull on the shoes, she crossed the room and knelt in front of me to do it for me. She caressed my feet tenderly before slipping the shoes in place. She latched the buckles, then bent down and kissed the exposed toes.
She had never done that before. Oh, she'd helped me with my shoes, but it wasn't her nature to kiss my feet. I stared at the top of her head.
"We should talk about it," she said quietly, not lifting her head to look at me.
"Dinner? I normally let you order for me when we go out, but I want étouffée. It comes as seafood or chicken. Either would be fabulous. And I'd love to try some gumbo. I've never had either. The food might be a little spicy for me, but it's going to be fun watching you macho wolves out do each other." She never looked up. "Tomorrow I want to try jambalaya. And we need to get beignets in the morning before we go shopping." I paused. "If we like the food, maybe we can convince one of the local pack members to move to Madison and open a proper Cajun restaurant. Maybe we can trade them for Albert Stein."
"That's not what I'm talking about, Michaela," Lara said.
"Come on," I said, starting to slide off the bed and onto my feet. "Let's see if everyone else is ready. If we're early, we can check out the sites."
"Michaela," Lara said slowly.
"We're in The Big Easy," I said, "the most unique city in the entire country. I don't want to spend it sitting in this room." I paused. "Or fighting about something when I already admitted I was wrong." I held out my hand. "How do I look?"
She took my hand and stood up. She gave me an appraising look, but her smile was troubled. But she didn't answer. I waited for her to say something, then when she didn't, I grabbed my purse from where she left it on the dresser. I rarely carried one, but I didn't have anywhere for my knives. I collected two of them and my phone, slipping them into my purse. Lara came up behind me and set her hands on my bare shoulders.
"I'll talk to Elisabeth," she said quietly.
"You will not," I said firmly. I stood there, not turning around. "This isn't how I see myself. I'd never buy these clothes on my own. I don't like going anywhere without my knives, and they're not sufficiently accessible in my purse. If we were home, I'd at least wear some on my ankles, but I know they are visible, and it will freak people out." To punctuate my statement, I slipped two of my chopsticks into my hair before turning around.
"This isn't how I see myself," I said again, gesturing. "But with everything you do for me, I don't mind dressing to please you, and I know you like looking at me when I dress like this. I'd do make up, too, but it looks garish when I do it." I paused, cocking my head. "You know I'm vain, Lara. Knowing you can't keep your eyes off me makes up for feeling helpless, at least a little. And I also know you'll spend most of the evening finding excuses to touch my shoulders. I like that, too. Now, may we please go?" I stressed the last word.
She didn't say anything, and her brow remained furrowed, but she took my arm gently, and together we walked to the door.
I used my ears. I heard talking from downstairs, and so at the bottom of the stairs, I gently tugged Lara towards the library. Stepping inside, we found most of the wolves along with Anika and Joanna. Eric and Joanna were near in one corner, making small talk. Elisabeth, Violet, James and Hanna were talking to Anika about New Orleans. Angel was looking through the books.
Elisabeth, then the rest of her group turned to face Lara and me as we stepped into the room. Elisabeth put on a self-satisfied smile, I presumed at my appearance.
"You look very nice, Michaela," she said.
"Thank you, Elisabeth," I replied. "Head Enforcer
, I have already informed the alpha of my request, but I will share it with you. If it is possible, I would enjoy walking through the French Quarter after dinner. Perhaps we can find some music. Maybe there will be an opportunity to dance. However perhaps there is already another plan."
Elisabeth glanced at Lara, who nodded imperceptibly. I turned to my mate.
"Was there something else you wished to do, Lara?"
"No, Michaela," she said. "Dancing would be lovely." As a group we all turned towards Anika.
"You've come to the right place," she said. "Bourbon Street is lined with dance clubs. We can simply walk along the street and find one with music that makes your toes tap."
"Are we short on time?" I asked. "Or can we take the scenic route to the restaurant?"
"We have time," she said. "Perhaps we should walk down to Jackson Square." She eyed my shoes. "May I ask a question?" I nodded. "I overheard someone call you 'Alpha'. I didn't know werewolf packs had human alphas. Was I mistaken?"
I turned to Lara. "Do you know of any human alphas?"
"I do not," Lara said.
I turned back to Anika. "If you are mistaken, we cannot confirm it." I smiled. "I'm not human."
"But you're not a wolf, either."
The assembled wolves chuckled at the thought. I was actually rather surprised they didn't know about me. I turned to Lara. "I thought I was more well-known than this." I looked at Elisabeth. "You let me think I was the most famous were in North America. I believe you have overstated my notoriety. Perhaps I can fade back into obscurity, and then I won't need these pesky enforcers following me everywhere."
Lara growled, low in her throat. I wasn't sure if anyone else heard it.
"We don't hear much about the werewolf packs beyond New Orleans," Anika explained. "Carissa doesn't let us spend time with the local wolves." She looked around. "I've never been around wolves if Carissa wasn't there. She must trust you more than the local pack."
I glanced at Lara. She had straightened slightly. "At least someone trusts me," she muttered. I decided to ignore that comment for now. Instead I focused on Anika.
"I'm a werefox," I said. "I turn furry, but I'm much, much smaller than my pack mates. They call me 'alpha' because I am Lara's mate. I know it's a cliché, but I slept my way to the top." I said it with a smile, but all the wolves shifted uncomfortably.
Well, it was true, wasn't it?
"Michaela was instrumental in saving the pack from disaster not once, but twice," Lara said, somewhat defensively. "She was invited onto our council on her own merits. I depend upon her heavily."
I shrugged, not in the mood to continue the conversation. "We seem to be short a few enforcers."
"Waiting outside," Elisabeth replied. "We're ready whenever you are."
I turned to Lara and waited. In social situations like this, I tended to take control, but I wasn't in the mood for that, either. Lara took my arm and turned us towards the front door. Elisabeth clucked, and immediately the enforcers were all on duty. She gestured, sending Anika and Joanna ahead of us, then Lara and me with the other council members. The enforcers flanked us from behind as we stepped out into the warm New Orleans evening.
Once we were on the street, the five enforcers fanned out. Lara gestured to Serena and handed me off to her, which I thought was odd. Then she made another gesture. Violet stepped to my other side, and Lara stepped ahead to talk to Elisabeth.
"Lara," I said under my breath. "I said 'no'." She ignored me.
Lara leaned towards Joanna and said, "Michaela wants a verbal tour."
"Of course," she replied. She looked over her shoulder, saw the dynamics, and then began talking, looking over her shoulder at me. I could have heard her just fine if she'd whispered while facing forward, but I didn't tell her that.
"We're on the edge of the Quarter," she said. "Esplanade is only a block that way." She gestured over her shoulder. "We'll take a left at this next corner then work our way down to Jackson Square." She proceeded to give me a running commentary, telling me the history of the area, beginning with the original settlers.
Lara waited until she thought Joanna had my attention before she began talking to Elisabeth. "The fox is angry at us."
I sighed. "She is not," I said firmly. "But if you don't drop it, she'll get there."
Joanna offered a puzzled expression.
"Not you," I said more gently. "Go on."
I knew they heard me, but Lara and Elisabeth ignored me. "I thought I detected more than a little stress." She glanced back at me. "She's glaring at you now, sister."
After that, I pretended to listen to Joanna while paying attention to Lara and Elisabeth. But as we moved deeper into The Quarter, it got louder. Joanna raised her voice, and Lara deliberately waited until we were crossing Bourbon Street to say anything further to Elisabeth. Over all the noise, I could no longer hear what she was saying. I decided not to worry about it and paid more attention to Joanna.
We reached Jackson Square, which was the original village green around which New Orleans was formed in the early eighteenth century. After the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, the park was renamed after General, and later President, Andrew Jackson. We came to a stop at the statue of Jackson on his horse. Joanna and Anika took turns telling the story of the Battle of New Orleans at the end of the War of 1812.
"Is this where Andrew Jackson earned the name 'Stonewall'?" I asked.
Joanna was kind. "Actually," she said. "That was a different Jackson from the War of Northern Aggression." She smiled. "You might refer to it as the Civil War."
I blushed at my mistake, but before the wolves could tease me, I said, "I guess that's why I teach science and not history." I didn't mind the laughter after that.
As dusk settled, we roamed the park for a few minutes. "During daylight hours, scores of artists and performers inhabit the park."
"Isn't Café du Monde near here?" I asked.
Anika turned and pointed. "Right there," she said.
I smiled. I didn't have any more questions. Anika and Joanna talked for a few more minutes. Then Anika gestured. "We should continue our walk."
* * * *
We arrived at the restaurant promptly at 7:30. We were expected. The hostess led us to the courtyard where tables were pulled together to form two larger tables. Lara gestured me to a seat against nearest the wall, taking the seat to my left. By the time we were all seated, Hanna was to my right with James across from her and Violet across from me. Elisabeth was across from Lara, and Anika took the place at the end. The enforcers took the second table with Joanna joining them. I noticed she sat next to Eric.
I gestured with my nose. "Is that a problem?"
"No," Lara replied.
"If she's a blood thrall, she won't be able to even consider leaving Carissa," I said. "And we can't afford to lose him."
"We're just here two nights. They can't possibly lose their heads in two nights."
It felt weird to have Serena so far away while I was in public. But the enforcers were well positioned to head off anyone who moved in our direction.
The restaurant was everything I expected, and then some.
Lara ordered a variety of appetizers for the table as well as a cup of gumbo for us to share. My étouffée was wonderful. I shared with Lara but ate far, far more than I normally would. Lara looked over at me in surprise.
"When am I going to get it again?" I asked.
Conversation over dinner was light. When Lara tried to pay the bill, she learned it was already covered. Anika told us that this was Carissa's treat.
We were well sated as we left the restaurant. Anika and Joanna took us up to Bourbon Street, and we joined the crowd roaming along the street. I was a little surprised Lara and Elisabeth were allowing this, although Serena kept my arm the entire time.
"Afraid I'll run off?" I asked her. I tried to put a glint into my eye.
"You and Lara had a fight," she whispered back. "And we all know how you tend to react after a fig
ht."
"Yes. I tell you I'm going for a walk alone, and then when you try to stop me, I go for a walk alone." I glanced over at her. "We're going dancing. I'm not going anywhere alone. Do I even look crabby?"
It took her a moment to answer. "No."
"Serena, do what you think you must. Are you going to clutch my arm on the dance floor, too?"
She didn't say anything. Several times we stopped outside this club or that, listening to the music that was wafting out. I didn't express a preference. I was a little surprised when it was Hanna that picked the club. We were listening to some zydeco when she leaned to James, and James in turn whispered to Lara. Lara turned to me and nodded her head towards the club. If there was dancing, I was happy with it.
The club was small, but we carved out space along one side. The band was good, and the dance floor ample. We ordered drinks, and then I waited for Lara to ask me to dance.
It was James and Hanna that broke the dancing ice for our group. Eric looked at Elisabeth and then at Joanna.
"Four of us on duty at all times," Elisabeth declared. "We'll rotate who is dancing." She then nodded to Eric, and a moment later he was leading Joanna onto the dance floor.
Three songs later, I still hadn't danced. And Serena hadn't released my arm. I finally leaned to her. "Will you dance with me?"
"I'd love to," she said back, "but I value my life." She glanced at Lara, who had her back turned to me.
"Fine," I said curtly. "I'll get one of the humans to dance."
"I don't think it's fair to pull Carissa's humans into your tiff with Lara."
"Who said anything about Carissa's humans?" I gestured with my head. "That guy over there looks like he knows how to dance, and he's been eyeing us. I don't think it would take much encouragement to receive an invitation."
"You wouldn't," Serena replied.
"It would be rude to turn him away if he's brave enough to ask me." I paused. "Huh. That would make him braver than you."
She didn't rise to the bait.
"I'm not trying to have a tiff with Lara," I said. "I complained about something. She told me I was wrong. I told her she was alpha, and if she said I was wrong, then I'm wrong. I've been trying to drop it ever since. I even apologized for my accusation. If she doesn't want to dance with me, I'll dance with someone else."