by Robin Roseau
I looked over at Elisabeth. “You let me negotiate for food. You knew I’d last as long as I had food.”
“I didn’t. But I was sure we’d break you tomorrow if we got serious enough.”
“I would just have faded out permanently.”
“I know. I was wrong.”
I looked at the computer, still on the table. The video feed was blank, but there was text below that. “What’s that below the dead video feed?”
“The ransom,” Gia said.
“I can’t read it.”
Ava turned to the screen. “It says, one minor personal favor to each and one hug each.”
I smiled. “What did it say before Scarlett’s revolt?”
“One hundred dollars and a major personal favor each,” said Gia.
“Why, Elisabeth,” I said. “Should I interpret that as admitting defeat?”
“Yes, Alpha, you should.”
“Then give me your throat.”
I turned to her, she lifted her chin, and I kissed her throat.
“Do it right,” she said. “We’ve talked about this.”
“I am your Alpha through love and cunning,” I said. “Not strength. You do not make the rules here. I do.”
“Yes, Alpha,” she said.
“All right,” I said. “As comforting as this is, it isn’t as comforting as being held by Lara. Tell me what my surprise is, then blindfold me and carry me to the car. I don’t think I can walk.”
“Actually,” said Angel.
“We aren’t telling you,” said Scarlett.
Elisabeth began to chuckle. “Lara, Alpha, will you allow us to kidnap both of you if we promise to be gentle?”
“Oh god, not again,” I said.
“Yes,” said Lara.
“Tomorrow,” I said.
“Tonight,” Angel said. “We have a drive.”
“Angel, I need to sleep.”
“You can sleep during the drive. Please, Michaela.”
I sighed. “Are you going to tape me up again?”
“No, but we’re going to blindfold you, and earphones, but only at the end.”
“Nothing like giving a girl a break. All right. But I want my tattoo finished.”
“Agreed,” said Elisabeth. “All right, ladies, blindfold her. Skip the ear buds. Let’s go home.”
Not Again
“What time did they say?” I asked Lara.
“They didn’t. They said we could sleep for a while. Come to bed.”
I was standing in front of the mirror wearing nothing but a camisole and panties, admiring my tattoo. “In a minute.” The tattoo started at the outside of my right ankle and ran all the way up my leg, a pair of wolf tracks in a gently curving line. Weaving in and out were the fox tracks.
“God, you are vain.”
“Yes, yes, I am. An utter narcissist. Can we install more mirrors? I don’t believe I should ever be more than a few feet from a mirror. In fact, we should put some out in the woods, so when we’re on a run, I can stop and admire my reflection from time to time.”
She laughed. “We can do that.
I turned to the bed where Lara waited. “Honey, I’m not up for any fun stuff.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t get all the silver out. It still kind of hurts. It’ll be gone in the morning, if they don’t hurt us too much.”
“They aren’t going to hurt us at all.”
I crossed to the bed. Lara was under the sheets. “I want to see yours again.”
She laughed, but she let me uncover her. I looked at her left leg, the mirror of mine, the wolf tracks leading straight up, the fox tracks entwined. I brushed it gently with my fingers.
I turned off the last light then slipped into her arms. Lara pulled the covers over us. I rested my head on her shoulder and my hand over her tummy.
“Is this okay?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I brushed my hand across her tummy. “Did you know they were going to offer the rematch?”
“I asked Angel to tell you about it.”
“Would you have been disappointed if I had declined?”
“No, honey. But I was pretty sure you would want it.”
“And did you ask the doctor if it was okay?”
“Yes,” she said. “But I paid the ransom earlier than I might have. I was worried about the stress.”
“That’s good,” I said. I bent down and kissed her very slightly bulging belly. “Has anyone noticed yet?”
“I don’t think so. How did you last so long, honey?”
“I kept thinking about these two, and how I had to protect them. I called them Flora and Fauna, because those are the only names I know, but when I envisioned them, I imagined two wolves, not two foxes.”
“We could call them that if you want,” she offered.
“No.” I thought about it. “Will we have more than these two?”
“I hope so.”
“Then I think we know their middle names. These two are Elisabeth and Angel, and the next girl’s middle name is Scarlett.”
“I think they would like that.”
“I kept our secrets.” Lara kissed the top of my head.
“Yes, honey. We need to tell them soon. I am showing, and Elisabeth needs to protect me now.”
“That’s my job!”
“I know, but it’s hers too, and all the other enforcers.”
“No one challenges you! They go through me, and no one gets near you! I need all my silver back. I’m not leaving your side now until you are able to properly defend yourself.”
“You are so fierce.”
“Do not patronize me,” I said. “I have a higher body count than the rest of the pack combined, including you.”
“I would never patronize you,” she said. “Honey, I have a wager with Elisabeth, and it’s very significant. I want to win. She has told me you are going to cry when you see their surprise. Please don’t cry.”
“All right,” I said. “Do you know what it is?”
“No,” she said. “Ready to sleep?”
“I am restless. Do you think-”
“Very gentle, very quiet?”
“Yes. I won’t be able to return the favor for a day or two.”
She caressed my face, and then she slowly, gently made love to me.
* * * *
We slept for a few hours. I woke instantly when there were footsteps on the stairs. I caressed Lara. She was snoring softly; it had started a few weeks ago, after she became pregnant, but she promised me it was due to the pregnancy, and that it wouldn’t continue. I pinched her arm gently, and she woke up.
“We have company,” I said. “I can’t tell who, but there are a lot of heartbeats.”
I reached under my pillow and found my dagger.
Lara’s nose was sniffing. My ears were going. “It’s probably our kidnappers,” Lara said.
“Damned well better be, and they better identify themselves, or they’re getting a silver shower.”
“Give them a chance,” she said.
I transferred the dagger to my left hand and reached behind the nightstand for one of my super soakers. I sat up, facing the door. “You hide now, Lara.”
She began chuckling.
Someone tried the door handle. It was locked. I heard Angel swear.
“Guys!” she said. “Come on! You said we could do this.”
“Who is out there, Angel?”
“Me!” said Scarlett. And there was a flurry of voices.
“There is one more heartbeat unaccounted for!” I said.
“It’s Michele Lassiter,” I heard, recognizing her voice.
I climbed from the bed, crossed to the door, and said, “I am opening the door, but I am armed, and it will go very badly for anyone who so much as twitches.”
“No twitching,” said Elisabeth. “Got it.”
I unlocked the door, opened it, and pointed my super soaker directly into the face of the first person standing th
ere, which was Angel. I waved it back and forth between her and Elisabeth.
“A squirt gun?” she asked. “Seriously?”
“Do not move,” I said. I stepped straight backwards, flipped on the light switch, then lifted my left arm and gave myself the briefest of squirts. The silvered water struck me and began to burn immediately.
“Shit!” said Angel. “Okay, okay, I won’t belittle your squirt guns. Heal it!”
“Towel!” Lara said from behind me. It was a perfect toss right over my shoulder.
“Angel, step forward one step. Take the towel and dry my arm.”
She did what I said. “A little paranoid?” she asked quietly. “Change your mind? Are you having bad dreams?”
I glanced down and healed the arm. Good as new. I pointed the gun at her. “Back up now.”
She stepped back to Elisabeth’s side.
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Michele said, stepping past the wolves. “Got anything in there that is going to hurt a human?”
“No, but this dagger might do a number on you,” I said, waving it at her.
“Hell, I’ll wait in the hall,” she said, backing away from the madwoman.
“What are your terms?” I asked Elisabeth.
“You agreed we could kidnap you,” she said. “Did you change your mind?”
“I will not allow violence,” I said. “You will treat us gently.”
“All right. If you agree to go quietly, we will allow you to get dressed, then we will blindfold you and carry you to the car. It’s a long drive. We can have fun during the drive or you can sleep.”
“No,” I said. “We will agree to go quietly. You may carry me if you want, but Lara goes on her two feet. You may blindfold us once we are in the car, and you will not separate us. And I want all my silver back before we leave this room. I will remain armed, and you will not tape me up. And Elisabeth, at no time will you take me more than ten feet from Lara.”
“Oh honey,” she said. “We won’t hurt you.”
“Those are the terms, or I start squirting.”
“Agreed!” she said immediately. “Gia, go get her bag of nasty tricks.”
“In a minute,” I said. “No tricks!”
“No tricks,” she said.
“You can all come in.” But I held my weapons ready, not pointing at anyone, and stayed between them and Lara.
“So fierce,” Elisabeth said.
Scarlett was watching me warily, then she glanced at Lara.
“Not a word, Scarlett,” I said.
“But-”
“I. Am. Alpha!”
“Not a word,” she said.
The women filed in slowly, eying me warily.
“Angel, go pick out clothes for both of us. We don’t know where we are going and did not know what to wear.”
“Comfortable clothing,” she said. She disappeared into the closet and came back with jeans and casual summer shirts for both of us. From our dressers, she retrieved the rest of our clothes for us.
I backed away from them, set my weapons down, and dressed quickly. Lara waited until I was done and had my weapons in hand again.
“Michaela, are you all right?” Elisabeth asked quietly. “No one is here to hurt you.”
I pointed my gun right at her. “No one better be here to hurt Lara! I can take care of myself.”
Elisabeth began to grin. “May I?” she asked, gesturing towards her sister. I nodded. She crossed to the side of the bed, slipped her hands under the sheet, and put her hand over Lara’s stomach.
“Who are the enforcers?”
“It was going to be me, Karen and Gia,” Elisabeth said.
“More.”
“Yes, I agree,” she said. “Karen, we need Serena.”
“Emanuel, Rory, Eric,” I added.
“Yes,” Elisabeth said. “All of them, Karen.”
“What do I tell them?” She asked.
“Tell them, quietly, we have a pregnant Alpha and a fiercely protective mate.”
“Don’t tell them which is which,” I said.
“She’s pregnant?” asked Ava. “Oh my god! Can I feel?”
She started forward, and I immediately pointed my gun at her. Angel grabbed her.
“What part of ‘fiercely protective mate’ didn’t you hear, Ava?” Angel asked.
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” said Michele Lassiter. She stepped sideways away from the others. “Michaela, calm down.”
“I am calm,” I said. “Just no sudden movements around my mate.”
“She’s worse than Lara!” said Sophia.
“You should see what I would be like if Michaela were pregnant,” Lara said. “This is way toned down. None of you would be allowed in the house.”
“Did anyone not see me ask permission to go to my own sister?” Elisabeth said. “Humor the fox.” She turned to Lara. “Congratulations. Boy or girl?”
“Two girls,” she said. “I couldn’t be happier.”
I took a deep breath. “Elisabeth, I’m not thinking clearly, am I?”
“No, honey, you aren’t.”
“Maybe you should take the super soaker,” I said. “But no one move!” I waved it at them.
“Maybe I should,” she said. “Alpha, will you trust your closest enforcers, and your very, very closest friends near your mate?”
I glanced down at her briefly.
“Maybe,” I said. “But no one moves!”
They started chuckling.
“No one laughs at me, either! She’s pregnant! You could bump her or something. You could make her laugh, and she might stumble. Anything could happen!”
Lara was starting to laugh. “Michaela, either you calm down, or I am bringing this up from now and, well, forever whenever you get mad at me when I protect you.”
“You would, wouldn’t you?”
“Honey, you woke up with strange noises in the house. You have verified the strange noises did not bring danger. You can come off high alert.”
I looked at all of them. Sophia’s eyes looked a little shifty. Or maybe that was just left over from the yawn.
“Dad was like this when Mom was pregnant with you, Lara,” Elisabeth said.
The front door opened. “Francesca,” she said, and then she stepped in. “I am coming up, Michaela.” She spoke in a normal voice knowing I could hear her. I listened as she climbed the stairs.
“Who called her? Angel, I know it wasn’t you, I’ve been watching.”
“I did, Alpha,” Gia said.
Francesca stepped into the room, took one look at me, then said right to Lara, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Francesca weaved through the wolves and walked to me. I pointed my gun at her as she drew closer.
“Going to shoot me?”
“Keep your hands where I can see them.”
“If you give me the gun, we can help your lovely, pregnant mate to get dressed. We can fix a nice snack, and then you can all go for a lovely drive. I promise you that you will enjoy it, and you will be surrounded by all your friends, helping you keep your mate safe.”
“I think I’m a little stressed,” I said.
“I imagine. Now, give me the gun, Michaela.”
“These are our friends,” Lara said. “They will never let anything happen to me.”
“Elisabeth could challenge you!”
“No, honey,” Elisabeth said. “I am here to protect both of you.”
I took a deep breath. And then I handed the gun to Francesca. “But I want that back!” I said.
“You can have it back once you are being reasonable,” Francesca said. “Now the dagger, too.”
“No,” I said. “It’s the only one I have.”
“You need to put it away,” Francesca said. “We’re going to have a snack, then you can put all your weapons on, but you need to trust your friends.”
I took another deep breath then turned the dagger around, holding it by its blade, and handed it to Francesc
a. Without a thought, I healed the burn on my hand.
“That’s better,” she said. She held my weapons behind her, and Angel took them.
“I want those back, Angel!”
“When you’re calm,” she said.
I closed my eyes, pushed away my panic. “I’m sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be,” Scarlett said. “I’m so excited. May I feel them?”
I nodded, and one by one, all the women knelt next to Lara and put their hands over her stomach.
“It kicked!” Sophia said when it was her turn.
“Sorry,” Lara said. “No. That was my stomach.”
Even I smiled at that.
“All right,” I said. “You’ve all felt her up. Gia, you may keep my weapons for now, but they are going with us, and I will want them before we get out of the car. Elisabeth, your enforcers will provide the outer rings of security. You and I will be inner ring. When you need a break, you will pick someone I trust.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“She goes nowhere without me. Nowhere.”
“That is between you and her,” Elisabeth said.
“Permanent guard, too,” I said. “Enforcers I trust.”
“Of course,” she said.
I looked at everyone else. “Our alpha is pregnant. No one gets near her except our closest friends.” I blinked slowly. “I’ll try to be calm around all of you.”
“May I please get dressed now, little fox?”
“You need a shower,” I said. “Elisabeth, verify the safety of the bathroom. Personally.”
Elisabeth rose to her feet and searched the bathroom. “Clear!”
“Make sure the floor is dry, too. I don’t want her slipping. I think we should install a stool in the shower, too.”
“Oh for crying out loud,” said Lara. She climbed to her feet and strode to the bathroom. I grabbed her by the arm.
“You will obey me!” I yelled at her.
She smiled and pulled me into a hug. “I love you, too. Calm down, the babies are fine.”
“All right,” said Francesca. “First stage of dealing with a problem is recognizing you have it. Second stage is eating something.”
“I’m not through the first stage yet,” I said.
Angel laughed. “Come downstairs, Michaela. You know she’s safe. Elisabeth is with her.”
Angel stepped closer and took my hand. Scarlett took the other. I let them pull me downstairs, everyone else following behind. Francesca made us some food. I ate slowly, listening to every noise.