Fox Afield (Madison Wolves)

by Robin Roseau

  I tried to feign indifference, but when I heard noises from outside the aircraft, I couldn't help but look out the window.

  "What is happening?"

  Lara reached across the aisle and took my hand. "They are probably stowing our luggage. After that they will tow us from the hangar. And then we will be on our way."

  The flight attendant worked her way through the cabin, making sure we were all buckled in. Then she talked to us about what to do if we had an emergency. I looked nervously at Lara, but she whispered it was a required briefing, and emergencies were literally a one in a million chance.

  I didn't comment about my luck, but I didn't need to be worried. We would arrive at our destination free of any harrowing incidents.

  Once the briefing was over, I held tightly to Lara's hand and watched out the window. There was a sudden movement, and we were rolling forward. We were towed well away from the hangar. There were more noises, and then the little tug that had towed us drove away. There was a pause followed by a whirring noise from the back.

  "What's that?" I asked Lara.

  "They're starting the engines," Lara said. "There are two, and they are located in the tail. They'll start one, then the other."

  "Have you ever flown something like this?" I asked.

  "No. It's way too much aircraft for me. We'll leave this flight to the professionals."

  "Alpha," I said. "Did you just admit there's something you can't do?"

  She laughed lightly. "There are many things I can't do. There are even some I couldn't even learn to do."

  I stared out the window, watching the activity. The noise from the engines increased slightly, and we were rolling forward.

  "It will be a few minutes before we take off," Lara explained. "We need to taxi to the end of the runway, and sometimes there is a line. We'll need to wait our turn. When we take off, the acceleration may be high, and you may get a little airsick if you don't look straight ahead."

  I glanced over at her, offering a droll expression.

  "Right," she said. "Sorry. Elisabeth would though."

  Lara had been right. The airplane traveled along the concrete paths for several minutes, then the pilot started speaking over the intercom, telling us we were number two for take off, and it would just be a moment. "Sit back, relax, and have a pleasant flight."

  She spoke very calmly, quite the opposite from how I felt.

  I glanced over at Lara. She was looking out the window, as well. Her eyes were bright, and I heard her elevated heartbeat. She was fully as excited as I was.

  We began moving again, and I could see down the length of the runway before we made a sharp turn to the right. "Here we go," said Lara.

  The engine noise increased, there was a brief pause, and we were moving forward, the acceleration much stronger than in the small planes Lara flies. I was pressed back into my seat and began giggling.

  Behind us, Elisabeth muttered, "Damned fox."

  "I heard that!" I told her. "The proper term is 'Damned Alpha Fox!'"

  Lara and the other three enforcers giggled, then Lara reminded me gently the flight attendant was human.

  We went faster and faster, and then the front of the airplane tilted up, surprising me. Elisabeth muttered again as we leapt into the air.

  "I forgive you, Lara," I said, grinning broadly.

  "For what?"

  "Being heavy-handed this morning." I giggled. I raised my voice. "Elisabeth, I have this little blue bag; do you need it?"

  "Shut up, you," she said.

  I handed the little bag backwards anyway. Karen was seated behind me, and she took it. Elisabeth muttered at both of us.

  I watched the ground disappear underneath us. I recognized some of the landmarks of Madison, and I realized we were flying north.

  "We're going to Canada?" I asked.

  "That's it!" Lara said. "Close the blinds."

  "But-"

  "You promised not to try to guess."

  I glanced over at her. She was looking at me sternly. She had already lowered her blind, and she narrowed her eyes. I reached up and obediently lowered my blind. "Everyone else, too," she said, her voice raised to carry throughout the cabin.

  Once we had reached cruising altitude, we made a party of it. The flight attendant had a variety of things for us to eat and drink. Lara and I slipped from our seats and we shuffled around, Lara taking the rearmost seat on the left with me sitting on the floor, leaning against her legs. Gia sat on the floor between Elisabeth and Karen. Serena offered to take the floor, but I pointed out I was a lot smaller than she was and was perfectly comfortable. The flight attendant gave me extra pillows for padding, and I was happy where I was.

  We had several card games with us to pass the time.

  "What are we playing for?" Karen asked.

  "Favors," I said. "Minor personal favors. Unless someone has a better idea." Gia had come well-prepared, and soon we were all writing notes promising personal favors. The notes went into a pile, and the winner of each game won the pile of promises. We played several games, with the competition fierce, but everyone having a good time. When all was said and done, I owed Lara and Gia two favors and one each to Serena and Karen. Elisabeth and I were left out in the cold, but I didn't mind, and the games seemed to take Elisabeth's mind off her queasy stomach.

  When Serena won, she grinned down at me nestled on the floor between her feet and Lara's and immediately handed my favor card back. "I would like to redeem this for a foot rub, Michaela."

  I laughed, pulled her shoes off, then spent the next forty minutes, while we continued to play cards, making Serena moan in pleasure. Lara growled at me playfully and said, "You're not supposed to make anyone else make those noises but me," but grinned at Serena to let her know she was teasing.

  We had a pleasant flight. We'd been in the air for a little over two hours when the flight attendant stepped back and talked directly into Lara's ear. "The captain would like to see you."

  Lara grinned at me and said, "Remember your promise!"

  I nodded and pulled my legs up so Lara could climb past me. I laughed as she hit her head on the ceiling. She came back a minute later and said, "No winner for this game. Time to return to our seats." She helped me climb to my feet, and we both settled back down, buckling our seatbelts. "All right, Michaela," she said. "You may open the blinds. It is a little bright outside.

  I lifted the blind over the window and stared at the most beautiful sight imaginable. "Mountains?" I asked.

  I glanced over and Lara was grinning at me.

  "Where are we?"

  "Colorado," she said. "Greg Freund set it up for us."

  Over the intercom, the captain gave us a verbal tour of what we were seeing out our windows. Finally she said, "We'll be on the ground in ten minutes."

  Pam, the flight attendant, checked on us before taking her own seat, and I watched out the window, rapt with attention, until we touched down. As we taxied across the airport, I turned to Lara. "Oh, you are so getting some tonight."

  She grinned.

  "Insatiable," I heard Elisabeth mutter. "I can't tell which of them is worse." She knew I could hear her.

  We taxied for a few minutes before coming to a stop and, a moment later, everything grew still. The pilot spoke over the intercom to us. "Welcome to Boulder, Colorado, where the air is thin and the mountains are beautiful."

  I unbuckled and started to get up, but Lara said quietly, "Enforcers first."

  "Oh sorry," I said. I shouldn't have needed the reminder.

  Lara looked over at me then she handed the envelope with my favor promise back to me. "Little Fox, this may qualify as a major favor for you, but this minor one is all I have to use."

  "Lara?"

  "We are in the territory of another pack, another alpha. And I need you to be exceedingly meek and mild. I would trust you to make the right choices, but you don't have the experience to handle the politics involved, and I don't know how to teach you. I need you to defe
r everything to me. Everything."

  The enforcers slipped out between us, heading to the front of the aircraft, not looking at either of us.

  I handed the favor promise back to Lara. "You don't need to use this, Lara. I promise to behave. As long as I only answer to you. No one else."

  "No one else," she agreed.

  "And don't push me or it will get my back up."

  "Keep your back down until we're in private and I can explain anything that went too far."

  I looked her up and down. "All right."

  She smiled, but it was tight and forced. "Thank you."

  "Lara, do not worry about me. I will behave, but keep any strange wolves at a respectful distance from me, all right? And if I catch anyone looking at me the wrong way, they are tasting silver or we are leaving."

  "Agreed. Greg Freund assured me we would be safe and welcomed in Boulder area, but this is an experiment."

  "High risk experiment," I commented.

  "I think we're safe," she said. "Daniel and I talked several times on the phone, and Greg assured me over and over I can trust him."

  "All right."

  I started to get up, but she said, "Me first, honey."

  "Side by side, Lara," I told her. She studied me, then agreed, but she still was the first to stand in the doorway of the aircraft. She looked out, then she reached behind her for my hand, and we descended to the pavement.

  I looked around. Our enforcers had set up their usual box defense, two out in front, two flanking us, Lara and me in the middle. I suddenly realized how thin a defense this would be if the Boulder alpha decided he had a taste for fox.

  We were parked outside a large open hangar. In the shade of the hangar were several cars and a significant number of people, clearly waiting for us. We were deeply outnumbered.

  "Lara?" I said nervously.

  Two people broke from the group in the hangar and began walking towards us. Suddenly I smiled, recognizing Greg Freund and Wendy, one of his enforcers. Greg was human, but he had learned about the wolves in his military unit. We had depended upon his services recently, and we had all grown to trust him. I didn't believe he would betray us, and I thought it even less likely Wendy would. She had protected me personally. Greg and Wendy stopped ten steps from us, and we closed the distance.

  "Greg," Lara said warmly, holding her hand out. Our enforcers stayed on alert, although Karen and Wendy greeted each other briefly. Until recently, Karen had worked for Greg but had joined the Madison pack. Lara shook hands with Greg and Wendy, then it was my turn, but I wasn't having any of that. I hugged both of them briefly.

  Greg clasped my forearms and grinned. "These are a good habit," he said, meaning my knives. "You won't need them, but it is good to be prepared."

  "Alpha," he then said to Lara. "I know the numbers are larger than expected. Half of them are mine. I am a neutral party, and I thought that would help to enhance everyone's confidence. Ysabella and the younger children do not normally leave the compound with as small an enforcer contingent as is present today, but we're enhancing security for everyone without feeling overwhelming to you."

  "Thank you, Greg," Lara said. "Shall we?"

  Greg turned towards the hangar and gestured. The assembled wolves fanned out into a protective screen, and I recognized some of Greg's wolves. We began moving forward. Wendy dropped back to talk quietly to Karen. "They're looking forward to this," she said. "There are hotheads in the local pack, but none of them are here. Be a little careful with the eldest son. He has aspirations but lacks the wit to follow through on them."

  "I remember," Karen said. "Is Brooke still in line for Alpha?"

  "Yes," Wendy said. "Glenn isn't happy about it, either. But not only is she far smarter than he is, she's also far faster. Not as fast as the fox, but fast. Daniel has spent significant political capital ensuring she'll be accepted after he's gone. Glenn has very little support, and if it came down to it, he wouldn't last a week. He'd have a hundred challengers immediately. But I think he's too stupid to realize it."

  I wondered if Lara knew all this. I couldn't ask her right away.

  We entered the shade of the hangar. There, Greg's enforcers handled overall security. The Boulder wolves were clustered in two groups, one behind the other. There was a tall, strong male wolf in the center of the first group. He was handsome although older, with a hint of grey in his hair and deeply chiseled features. A female wolf stood beside him, and she reminded me a lot of Elisabeth. Behind them was a large male wolf, and I wondered if perhaps this was Glenn.

  The other group, further away, included a female wolf and two teenage wolves I guessed to be around twelve. They were well guarded by four enforcers, all of whom were eying us warily.

  We came to a stop, and the elderly male stepped forward, the female alongside him. Greg made introductions.

  "Lara Burns," Greg said. "Daniel Bancroft. His daughter and head enforcer, Brooke. His son, Glenn. Daniel, with Lara is her mate, Michaela Redfur."

  "Now Michaela Burns," I said.

  "Of course," Greg said. Lara and Daniel shook hands, exchanging cautious pleasantries, then Lara shook hands with Brooke and Glenn. It was immediately clear that Glenn was one of those assholes who thinks squashing a hand during a handshake is required to show off how manly you are. I saw the muscles in Lara's shoulders tense as she shook hands with him, and in an instant I had my hands in the sleeves of my blouse, ready to pull out my daggers.

  But then it was Glenn who winced and pulled away.

  "I love you," I told Lara quietly.

  I palmed one of my daggers with my left hand, hiding it behind my arm. I think Greg noticed. He spoke quietly in Daniel's ear, quietly enough all I heard was, "Asshole." Daniel nodded once.

  Then Daniel turned warmly to me. "A fox," he said. He held out his hand, and I extended mine cautiously. He was gentle, offering the pressure a human female might accept. His smile extended into his eyes. "I do hope we can all be friends," he said, and he sounded like he meant it. I detected not the slightest bit of malice.

  "Michaela," said Brooke, offering her hand as well. "I echo my father's sentiments. You are the first fox I have met. I do hope we can get to know each other." She pulled me closer into a hug, which surprised me, but she was exceedingly gentle. Still, she almost got a knife in the ribs. "Just nod to him," she said. "If he makes you stab him, it might ruin our diplomacy."

  I guessed Brooke had seen the knife as well. She released me, but she did so in a fashion that put herself and her father between Glenn and me.

  "Nice to meet you," I said, nodding to Glenn, then offered a look of relief to Brooke. She smiled warmly and nodded once.

  When no one was looking, I put my dagger back where it belonged.

  Daniel gestured, and the second group approached. "I would present my mate and my two youngest," he said. Surrounded by enforcers, the second group halved the distance before the smallest child broke away from her mother and ran straight at me. It was then I realized she was closer to Kaylee's age, perhaps nine or ten.

  The commotion confused everyone. Karen stepped up behind me, ready to pull me from danger. Lara stepped partially in front of me. Elisabeth drew closer. Two of the Boulder enforcers closed on the child. And we had an incident in the making.

  Brooke handled it quite simply. "Stand down!" she ordered firmly, then she swept her little sister up in her arms, spinning her around and hanging on to the squirming child. "Not so fast, Casey," she said.

  "I want to see the fox!" the girl said.

  "And so you shall," Brooke said. "But perhaps from a small distance."

  I could tell the child was about to throw a fit. Her mother was hurrying to close the distance, but it was time for diplomacy. I stepped past Elisabeth and straight up to Brooke.

  "Hello, Casey," I said, holding out my hand. "My name is Michaela. We can shake hands, but you must be very gentle. Can you do that?"

  Brooke continued to hold her little sister, so I had to look up
into her face. The girl reached out and took my hand, and she held it like she would an egg. We shook twice, the girl grinning broadly.

  "You're my size!" she said. She frowned. "Are you a pup?"

  "No," I said. "I am full grown, although I am considered of moderate size, even for a fox. If you promise to be very gentle and not startle all the enforcers, maybe your sister will put you down and we can see which of us is taller."

  Brooke looked at me as if asking whether I was sure, and I nodded to her. She lowered her sister to the ground. "All right," I said. "It's easiest to check if we stand back to back. Are you ready?"

  She nodded.

  "All right," I said. "We'll each turn around and stand as tall as we can with our backs touching, and the alphas will judge which of us is taller."

  We both turned around, I backed up to her, and then said, "Alpha?"

  "What do you think, Lara?" Daniel asked. "It looks pretty close."

  "I agree, Daniel. I think perhaps the fox is the tiniest bit taller, but that could simply be her wild hair."

  "My hair is not wild," I said. "My hair is always perfectly well-behaved."

  "Perhaps the fox is the tiniest bit taller," Daniel agreed. "But the next time we meet, that will no longer be the case."

  I stepped away from the girl and turned around, and she turned to face me. "Well, there you have it. We're almost exactly the same height, but you're still growing, and I am not. Would you like to see something really funny?"

  "Yes!" she said.

  "Brooke, would you?" I turned around and then Brooke chuckled before standing against my back.

  "Brooke is a lot taller than you are, Michaela!" Casey said.

  I laughed and said, "Yes, and in a few years, you will be too, won't you?"

  She nodded sagely.

  By then her mother had stepped up, still holding onto their other child, and she was smiling at me. When I glanced at Daniel, he was, too.

  "All right, Casey," the woman said. "I believe that is enough breaking of protocol. You knew you were to wait for me."