by Robin Roseau
Ember snorted.
"Hush, you," I said.
Hadley eyed me warily. "You truly do not understand the sensitivity of a wolf's nose. I can smell cooking meat." She sniffed. "Beef. With pasta, garlic, and tomato sauce. And something else I do not recognize."
"Vegan cheese," Ember said. "It's made from crushed water chestnuts or something, but it's actually pretty good."
"Well, maybe the entire household isn't vegan, but I have a vegan appetizer that has actually been popular with the wolves."
"What do you think, Donald?" I asked. "How does this smell?"
"Very good," he replied. Those were his only words for the next hour.
"Well," said Michele. "We brought wine. White and red."
"Oooh," I said. "And I'm not driving."
Ember retrieved the corkscrew and glasses. Hadley opened and served. Ember grabbed a coke from the refrigerator in the basement.
And the house began to fill.
"You look nervous, Zoe," Hadley observed. "Have we quite descended on you?"
"No, I'm fine," I said. "Ember, the kids know where the refrigerator is, but remind them to help themselves. Make sure the adults are taken care of. You know the drill."
"Yes, Mom," she said.
But just then, Cassie stepped into the kitchen. Ember stopped all movement and stared at her. Cassie stared back, then the two approached each other slowly.
"Hey," Ember said.
"Hey," Cassie said.
It was immediately clear what was going on. "Michele, please stir this," I said. I handed her the whisk, and then I stepped up behind Ember. "It's good to see you, Cassie." then I whispered into Ember's ear, "If this is a date, then treat it like a date. Take her hand."
I stepped away to relieve Michele, but I kept an eye on my daughter. She reached for Cassie's hand, and the two clasped.
They would spend most of the evening holding hands or finding some other way to touch.
Hadley stepped up beside me. "First date?" she whispered.
"I didn't even know she had a date lined up," I replied. "And yes. First date for them."
"They'll be fine," she said. "One of the advantages of living here on the compound is there are so many role models to follow, showing them how to behave."
"Are you making edamame, Zoe?" Cassie asked.
"Indeed I am," I said.
"And is there some of your special popcorn later?"
"Indeed there is."
"But did you use real cheese or that vegan stuff tonight?"
I laughed. "Your nose should be able to answer that question. All right, Ember, I heard more people in the living room. You need to help host."
"Yes, Mom," she said. "Come on, Cassie."
All four adults watched the kids as they left the kitchen.
"A difficult age," Michele said. "So many things to learn. Ember is lucky to have you, Zoe."
"And Portia," I added.
"Yes, and Portia. But the two of you are teaching her different things, aren't you." She paused. "Well, together you teach her what love is, and what it is to be cared for."
"You see all that?"
"She calls you 'Mom'. None of the kids who have lived with Michaela and Lara have ever called her that."
"That's not entirely true," Michaela said, entering the kitchen. "Most of them slip up once or twice. Both of your daughters did, Michele. But none of them made it a habit of it the way Ember does with her mothers. Of course, the situation is different."
"Hello, Alpha," we all said.
Michaela worked the room, hugging all of us. I got a kiss on the cheek, too, so I felt special.
"Is that wine?" she asked.
"Would you like a glass?" Michele replied.
"Half glass," she said. "And none of your sneaky tricks to get me drunk."
I didn't say it out loud, but I thought it would be fun to see the fox inebriated.
"Where are your keepers?" Hadley asked. "You didn't lose them again, did you?"
Michaela accepted her glass, took a sip, then answered Hadley's question. "I am reformed," she said. "No more ditching my security. Half my security is upstairs changing into more comfortable clothing. The other half is guarding me from the hordes of teenagers in the other room. As if I need protection from my own students."
"She isn't really!"
Michaela laughed. "Naw. We got into the house and both got swarmed, and then the kids wanted to talk to Lara. I imagine she's trying to extricate herself and get in here before the edamame is gone."
"Speaking of which..." I drained the beans and then began tossing them with the sauce I had made. Michaela didn't wait and began opening cupboards until she found the right bowls -- which were out of her reach.
"Donald, I need both those bowls," she said, pointing. He stepped forward and pulled them down for her. "Thank you."
I was amazed at how comfortable she was in her role. I stared at her.
"What?" she asked. "I'm helping."
"It's not that. You're just such a force in such a tiny body."
She smiled. "They do what I want to keep me from pouting." She stuck her lip out for a moment. "See?" She trembled her lip.
I couldn't help laughing.
"Please tell me there's alcohol in this house," Lara said, entering the kitchen. She walked straight to Michaela and tried to steal her wine glass.
"Get your own!" Michaela said, pulling it away from her. "I'm onto your tricks, too. You'll take some infinitesimal sip, then Michele will top it off, and the two of you think you can get me to drink more than I planned."
Lara chuckled and accepted a glass from Michele. She sipped her wine then moved around the room, offering greetings.
When she got to me, I got a firm hug and a brush of her cheek along mine. We grinned at each other after that. "Marking me?" I asked into her ear.
"Yes, actually. Don't worry; Portia won't mind. I was just mingling my scent with Michaela's, but we left the other side for Portia."
She stepped away. "Oh, edamame. Don't dawdle, Zoe. Really, a wolf could starve in this house."
"Are those pea pods?" Hadley asked. "You're all excited about pea pods?"
There was laughter, and then Michaela explained. I divided the edamame into two bowls.
"The second one was for the shells," Michaela complained.
"I'm pretty sure there will be a mutiny if we don't share with the kids," I said. I retrieved two more bowls for the shells then, leaving one set in the kitchen, I carried the other set to the living room.
It was full of teenagers.
"Monique," I said. I held out the bowls, and she immediately stepped over and took them from me.
"All for me?" she asked.
"Funny," I said.
I returned to the kitchen; I could properly greet the kids shortly.
When I got there, I saw Michaela had her nose in the oven. "Lara," I asked immediately, "I find myself puzzled about a point of pack protocol."
"Oh?"
"Yes. When the alpha snoops through my cooking, am I allowed to yell at her?"
Lara chuckled, and Michaela hastily snapped the oven door closed.
"I was just looking," she said. "And no, you're not."
"I believe, Little Fox," said Lara, "that Zoe managed to make her point quite effectively, and without any yelling at all. Well done, Zoe."
"Michele," Michaela said without even turning around. "Get away from my wine glass."
Michele retreated, holding the wine bottle, but then topped off Hadley's instead.
The kitchen door opened, and Portia stepped in. I turned, and we stared at each other for a moment.
She was wearing the blouse and -- peeking out the top -- the camisole that Ember had given her at Christmas. I found my eyes dropping to the hint of exposed lace.
She closed the distance and pulled me into her arms, delivering a warm, thorough kiss. I draped myself over her for a moment afterwards. "Hello, Hadley, Michele, Donald," Portia said. Then she
frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm wondering if I want wine. Do you mind if I have a beer?"
The kitchen door opened, and Ember entered, pulling Cassie behind her. "Here you go, Mom," Ember said, handing Portia a beer. "Is there more edamame? We're out." She stepped forward, saw the bowl, and said, "Oh, good."
She was halfway to the door again before Michaela stopped her. "Ember Louise!"
The girl froze. "Alpha?"
"Put. The edamame. Back."
Sheepishly, Ember returned the bowl to the counter, but then she grabbed one, handed it to Cassie, then grabbed one more for herself, fleeing the room before Michaela could yell at her again.
I beamed, deeply pleased they enjoyed the food I created for them.
"I'm starving," Portia said. She slipped away from me and hovered over the bowl for a minute, eating three or four of the beans. It would hardly satisfy her hunger, but it was the thought that counted, right?
"Do I really need to make bigger batches, or are all you guys just playing with me?" I asked.
"I think you should leave them wanting more," Michaela replied. "I like how the sauce is different every time you make it."
"It's not like it's hard to make," Portia said. "If they want it so badly, they could make it themselves."
Hadley snorted. "Yes, I can see a wolf in the grocery store, buying these." She gestured to the bowl, then took another one. "They are good though, Zoe."
The timer went off. It was time to pull the baked pasta out of the oven and toss the garlic cheese bread in. I silenced the timer then said, "I need a big, strong wolf to take those out and set them here." I arranged potholders on the counter. I was expecting Portia to step forward and pull out the pans, but it was Lara who grabbed the oven mitts from me.
Fifteen minutes later found us in the living room. Lara and Portia took opposite ends of the sofa with Michaela and I wedged between them. Hadley took one of the easy chairs, and Michele got the other. Donald sat on the floor, leaning in the groove formed by the chair and Michele's legs. That was how Ember often liked to sit.
The kids were all on the floor, many of them leaning against the sofa or each other, others sitting cross-legged. Ember staked out a place against my legs with Cassie leaning against her.
"This is really good, Zoe," Iris declared. "Thank you for inviting us."
"You're welcome," I said, "but you can thank Ember. She made the non-vegan version."
"What are we watching tonight?" Monique asked.
"Well," I said, "here are the rules. We'll go through the possible genres like we always do, but with this many people, the likelihood of eliminating all the genres is too high. So we'll let one down vote from an adult count, but it takes two from one of the teenagers."
"I'm an adult," Iris said.
"Let me rephrase that. It takes two votes if you are under 21."
"Damn it," she said, but it was with a smirk at me.
I didn't particularly care what we watched, and Portia was quiet as well. Michaela tried to get us all to watch a nature documentary, but she was soundly vetoed by nearly everyone.
In the end, we did what we frequently did: an action movie followed by something sweet. The wolves took turns heckling the action movie; it was pretty heckle-worthy, and Michele and Hadley were both involved in the heckling. I decided it was fair game.
"All right," Iris said once the credits were rolling. "That was bad." Then she turned to me. "One through ten."
I grinned at her.
"One," Portia said. "You can do a one."
"Aww," I complained.
"And it may be that Zoe isn't the only one who wants a run," Portia said. She glanced at Michele.
"A one?" Michele asked.
"They're asking me how intense of a run I want. A one is just a run. At a four, they're able to get me to scream. A seven means I spend most of the time screaming." I turned to Portia. "After that movie, you're going to deny me a good scream?"
She sighed. "Fine. Four."
"Seven."
"Four."
"Six?"
"Two."
"Four?"
"Four," she agreed.
"Excellent!" said Iris. "Who is helping me?"
"Lindsey is," Portia said. "Or it's only a two."
"Michele," said Monique. "Evangeline and I can take you."
"I don't think I fully understand," Hadley said. "What are you going to do to her?"
"We're only human," I explained. "They each will take an arm and help us run. It started with them just running, but then these two-" and I gestured to Iris and Lindsey, "-realized they could make it more exciting."
"Well, I want a four as well," Michaela said. "Who is willing to wager how many times I'll scream?"
No one would take up her wager. She sighed dramatically.
"We'll take you, Alpha," Sebastian said, gesturing to Nash. "If Michele wants a run with Monique and Evangeline."
Everyone turned to Michele. "Sure," she said, "but I think I should experience a one before I agree to more than that."
"Monique," said Sebastian, "then you and Evangeline should take the alpha. You have more practice."
We grabbed jackets and moved outside, three of us flanked by our escorts. Iris and Lindsey grabbed me, but I said, "Hang on." I turned to Michele. "They'll take your arms -- as you can see. You sort of run with them, but let them do the work and let them do what they want."
"How often do you do this?" she asked.
"A normal run?" I asked. "Some days it's several trips a day. At events, they just sort of grab me and take me somewhere, then return me. Portia and Ember take me for a run most evenings if I haven't had one already that day, and sometimes even if I have."
"It's dark," Lara said. "So don't get carried away."
"We won't, Alpha," Iris said. "Ready, Zoe?"
I shook myself out. Then I looked over my shoulder at Portia. "Wager."
"Oh?"
"If I make it without screaming, then..." I gestured for her to come closer. She approached and leaned down. "Then later, you don't get to make me scream more than your name."
She chuckled. "And if you scream?"
"For every scream, you can add other things I have to say."
"Agreed," she said immediately. "Ah, if only it weren't nighttime, I'd ask these fine wolves to make it a seven. Take her, girls!"
Iris and Lindsey immediately grabbed my arms again, and moments later we were off.
They ran straight for the back corner of the gym, pulling me sideways along it just at the last instant. I managed to avoid screaming, but it was close.
They did jump me over one of the cars in the parking lot, and then they almost ran me right into the alpha's house. I didn't scream about the car, but I gave a good scream when we came to a stop inches from the wall of the house. They laughed, then they dragged me along the porch, picking me up in what I called 'superman style' to clear the railing.
More or less, we remained a group. I recognized the people around me, although I was too wrapped up in my own experience to see what happened with Michele and Michaela. I got about a ten-minute ride before we came to a stop deep in the woods. Iris and Lindsey were breathing hard and laughing. They set me down.
"I heard screaming," Michaela said after being released by Monique and Evangeline. "And none of it was from me."
"I am not convinced Zoe plays to win," Portia said. She and Lara were barely winded. She stepped over and hugged me.
Sebastian and Nash brought Michele to a stop, and then the rest of the wolves gathered around, many of them laughing.
"What did you think, Michele?" I asked her, still panting.
"I understand why you come back laughing from your runs," she said. "That's fun." She turned to her wolves. "You two may step it up on the way back."
They grinned. "How far, Ms. Lassiter?" Nash asked.
"Dial it back a little from what they were doing to Zoe," she said.
"Your mate has
come a long way," Lara told Portia. "We are very proud of her."
"I am, too," Portia said. "But it is very difficult to hear her scream and not intervene."
"It's good for you," I said. "Besides, they made me scream so you could win our wager."
She laughed. "They made you scream because it amuses them," Portia replied.
"You'd think she'd get used to it," Iris said. She grinned. "She keeps us working to come up with new routes to take."
"Eventually someone is going to make a mistake," Lara said. "I'm not sure why I allow this."
"That's part of how they get me to scream," I said. "One or the other 'slips'."
"Works every time," Lindsey said. "Every. Time."
I hung my head. It was true.
"Got your breath?" Iris asked.
"Yep." They picked me up, tossed me in the air, and then caught me on the run.
A minute or two later, I heard a scream from Michele.
* * * *
Back at the house, once my heart slowed down and I had thanked the girls, I offered dessert. That meant fruit for me and whoever else wanted some and ice cream for everyone else. Then we sat down and enjoyed a very sweet romantic comedy.
I soon found myself lounging in Portia's arm, snuggled tightly against her. Beside me, Michaela was in Lara's lap. I loved watching how tender the large werewolf was with the little fox.
Ember was paying more attention to Cassie than to the movie. They were holding hands, and Ember was lightly caressing Cassie's arm. Cassie had her head on Ember's shoulder. It was really cute.
Iris and Lindsey were flirting with their dates, but it didn't look very serious. Monique had Evangeline's head in her lap. She was running her fingers through Evangeline's short hair while another hand rested on the girl's hip.
It was a sweet movie, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. When the credits rolled, there were a few sighs.
"Well," Michaela said. "I had a lovely time. Thank you, Zoe."
"I'm glad you could come."
"Kids," Michaela ordered, "take care of the cleanup. Then it's time to go."
"Actually," said Ember. She turned to Portia and me and offered a perfect puppy-dog expression. "Do you think we could have a slumber party? We'd sleep down here."
"You're not having a co-ed slumber party," I said firmly.
"Just the girls," she clarified. "Please, Moms!"