Wolf Watch (The Madison Wolves Book 8)

by Robin Roseau

  "Michaela did?" Zoe asked.

  "Well, with a whole lot of help," Scarlett added. "She and I designed the dormitory buildings you see, too. They're designed to blend into the trees and look like they belong with the lodge, but they're built using techniques she knows well. She comes up with a crew and can build one in a weekend."

  Zoe shook her head. "You people are very impressive." She turned to me. "We're not staying here?"

  "Oh no," said Angel. "You get the house in Bayfield. In case you want to, well, you know."

  What she really meant was that everyone else was going to want to be in fur later, and we didn't want to explain that to Zoe. I'd whisk her away, and five minutes later, the place would be overrun by furry wolves and one tiny fox.

  We parked and carried a load into the lodge. Angel and Scarlett offered to carry in the rest while I gave Zoe the tour.

  I kept it short, not showing her any of the bedrooms. We had a large central room, an equally large dining hall, and the kitchen. When Zoe saw the kitchen, she practically had an orgasm. "Oh my god. This is fantastic. When you said gourmet, you weren't kidding." She turned around then said, "Oh look. Everyone else is out on the deck."

  "We can exit here," I said, gesturing to a door.

  We stepped outside. Michaela would have announced us, so I didn't worry we were interrupting a conversation. They all turned.

  "This place is incredible," Zoe said. "Lara, if you ever want to offer non-cash donations to GreEN, I could host seminars up here."

  Lara laughed. "I was wondering when I'd get a pitch."

  "I'm sorry," Zoe said. "I shouldn't do that."

  "It's fine, Zoe," Lara said. "And that's an excellent idea. I still want to understand what GreEN does in more detail, and if there are ways we can help, I am happy to hear about them."

  "Deal!" Zoe said immediately. "How soon are we eating?"

  "We can start the grill whenever we want," Michaela said.

  "I have vegetables to roast," Zoe said. "If there's room on the grill. Otherwise I can sauté them."

  Michaela smiled. "There's room. And we have a grilling basket."

  "All right," Zoe said. "Want another wager?"

  "Ooh," said Michaela. "You're trying to fit in. Sure. But small stakes."

  "I'm going to make an appetizer. The wager is this. At least half of you will like it."

  "It's vegan?" Michaela asked. Zoe nodded. "Agreed. Terms?"

  "If I win, all of you have to sample a little bit of everything else I make."

  Michaela laughed. "And does that mean you're offering to sample the fish?"

  "No. I'm not asking you to adjust your morals. What do you want?"

  "Five exclusive prints," Michaela said. "We'll cover reproduction costs. Your best five shots from this weekend with the normal work you put into retouching. Each will be signed and numbered, one of one."

  "Agreed," Zoe said immediately, "if you put them up where people will see them, and make sure they know where to get others."

  Michaela laughed. "I interpret this to mean I get to see every photo you take, and we'll pick my five together."

  "Sure," Zoe said. She turned to me. "My appetizer goes well with either beer or red wine. I'll have whichever you are having, then I need your help in the kitchen." She looked back at Michaela. "I'll need ten or fifteen minutes for my appetizer, and then I'll need some preparation time for the main meal."

  "Perfect."

  Zoe grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the kitchen. She was reminding me, more and more, of Michaela.

  I really, really hoped she didn't know what I was. I needed to know why she was stalking me, what she knew, and whom else she had told.

  Scarlett and Angel were just bringing the last of the groceries in. Zoe hadn't been paying attention, but as we unpacked the bags, she asked, "Did you buy anything other than meat?"

  "There's beer," Angel pointed out. "It's already in the other fridge."

  "Other fridge?"

  "Out on the deck," Angel said. "It's where we keep the outdoor beverages."

  "Slow down. You guys intend to eat fish and drink beer, and that's it?"

  "There's bread," Scarlett added.

  "There's not a single vegetable here, except the ones I got! Aren't you worried about malnutrition?"

  "We nutrient just fine," Angel said. "I think I'm going to go have a beer and see if Michaela is talking to me yet."

  "I'll go with you," Scarlett said. "Who is grilling tonight?"

  The two disappeared, and Zoe turned to me.

  "Hey," I said. "Do I look malnourished?"

  "No. Damn it. Fine. Are we drinking?"

  "Red wine," I said. "I'll open a bottle."

  While I worked on that, Zoe bustled around the kitchen, finding everything she wanted. She found a pot, filled it with water, and put it on the stove to heat. She did the same with another pan of water. Then she washed all the vegetables, setting them aside. I eyed everything dubiously then set her glass where she could reach it.

  "Thank you, Elisabeth." She looked up at me. "I want to tell you something."

  "Oh?"

  "I am falling for you. If this is a fling, I would like to know."

  I stared at her, then, as casually as I could, I sniffed. If she was lying, she was doing so without a scent trace.

  "It's not a fling," I said. "But I'm not ready for you to move in yet, either."

  "Fair enough," she said. She picked up her glass. "To this beautiful home."

  I could certainly drink to that.

  "I like your friends and family, Elisabeth. I like you, too."

  "You seem to be fitting in well, in spite of your unusual dining habits."

  We stared at each other for a while. She left me very puzzled, as did my reaction to her. Finally she set her glass aside. "All right. I want to win that wager. Will you help me?"

  "Maybe."

  "All I want is your honest reaction." She had bought a bunch of spices. She began opening the jars. "Sniff each of these and split them into groups: love, hate, and somewhere in between. Be careful. Some of them are very strong. If any are subtle, we can crush a sample and you can sniff that way. I brought my mortar and pestle."

  "There's one here somewhere," I said. "We have pretty much everything somewhere."

  "Don't look at the labels," she added. "Just sniff and decide."

  I sampled each of the spices. There were a few that didn't do anything for me, but then I got to one and said, "Oh my god! What is this?"

  She barely glanced at it. "Oh, that's a good sign. That's cardamom. It's very strong, but I love it."

  She finished washing the vegetables and then quickly cut a bunch of them up. I finished dividing the spices.

  "All right." She dried her hands and looked at what I had done. "Oh, this is better than I feared. How about garlic?"

  "Lousy on a date."

  "Yeah, but I want to win that wager, and I know how to erase the garlic on your mouth later."

  "Garlic is popular with us."

  "Salt?"

  "Salt is good."

  "Perfect. Find me the mortar and pestle."

  I kept an eye on her while I searched, taking just a minute or so. Zoe found a large frying pan and began heating some olive oil. She added salt, quite a lot of salt, to the pan of boiling water before dumping in a batch of odd pea pods into it.

  "You're not going to win with peas," I said. "I promise you."

  "Another wager?" she asked with a glint in her eye. "Photo shoot."

  "Michaela created a monster. No. I think there are enough wagers today."

  "Damn. Well, they aren't peas. They're soybeans. I'm making edamame. You did say everyone likes sushi."

  "Yeah. Raw fish. Not cooked soybeans."

  "She of little faith."

  A minute later, she had crushed some of the spices into the pan and was frying them in the oil. The kitchen quickly filled with the scent. Zoe lowered her nose over the pan and sniffed, then smiled.
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  "Come sniff this," she said. "If you don't like it, I need to know."

  I could smell it from where I was, but I made a show of it anyway. "That's good," I said. "But it's not going to make up for beans."

  "We'll see. Take my wager. I'll be your sex slave all weekend."

  I laughed. "You'll be my sex slave, anyway."

  She stuck out her tongue.

  "Yep, that tongue will get a workout later."

  "Awfully cocky."

  "I tell you what," I said. "If you find a way to prove I can absolutely trust you with everything important to me, I'll give you the photo shoot."

  She stilled and looked at me for a moment, then went back to stirring the pan. "You can trust me, but I don't know how to prove it."

  "Find a way."

  "Right now?"

  "No, but the deal can expire."

  "So you'll let me think about it?"

  "Yes."

  "All right."

  She had set a timer, and it went off. A moment later, she was draining the soybeans. She shook them out then said, "Find me a big bowl and a few small bowls."

  That was easy. She dumped the soybeans into the big bowl then whisked the oil and spice mixture over the top. She added more salt and tossed everything well, coating the beans.

  "Come on," she said. "Let's see if I won."

  I scrambled to keep up as she grabbed her wine and carried the bowl outside. I brought my wine and the other bowls.

  Everyone else was milling around, drinking beer, except Michaela had a glass of cider. Zoe moved to one of the high top tables and set the soybeans on it.

  "Gather around," she called out. "Michaela has a wager, and anyone who doesn't help judge automatically is a vote for my side."

  Everyone moved closer.

  "This is edamame done Zoe Young style," she said.

  "Oh hell," said Michaela. Zoe grinned.

  "They're hot, so be careful. You do not eat the entire pod. Instead, you kind of peel the beans out with your teeth." She picked one up and demonstrated, sticking the pod into her mouth and then using her teeth to peel the beans out while slurping the spices off the outside of the pod. "Elisabeth has bowls for the spoils. Part of the experience is the spice on the outside, so make sure you give them a chance."

  "How many do we have to eat?" Scarlett asked with a dubious expression.

  "Sniff," said Zoe. "If you can't stand the scent, you won't like them. If you like the scent, then try one. After that, it's your choice of what is needed to judge."

  "All right." She moved forward and sniffed the bowl. Then she took one of the pods, holding it carefully, and slipped it into her mouth. She peeled the beans out a little differently than Zoe had, but a moment later, she dumped the empty pod in a waiting bowl, then chewed and swallowed the beans.

  All of us watched her carefully. She didn't make a face.

  "Not bad," she said. "I think I need another one." She immediately grabbed a second.

  "Come on, Elisabeth," Zoe said. "Try one."

  I eyed the soybeans, but I already knew they smelled good. I picked one up. It was actually a little too salty, but the spices were good, and the beans themselves weren't bad.

  When I grabbed a second one, Zoe began beaming widely.

  We polished off the bowl, and Zoe was practically vibrating with excitement. "Well?" she asked. "Tell me honestly."

  "As soon as you said what they were, I knew I was going to like them," Michaela said. "I've had edamame before, but not like this."

  "How about the spices?"

  "A little too salty," I said. "But otherwise really good."

  "But not too-too salty," Scarlett said. "Cut the salt next time and they'll be perfect."

  Zoe immediately hugged her, which I think surprised Scarlett. "Thank you, Scarlett! How about the rest of you? Two more and I win."

  "They're okay," said Angel. "Am I allowed to abstain?"

  "If I make them again, will you eat them?" Zoe asked.

  "The salt was fine, but I'm not sure about the spices." She swished her mouth with beer. "It was a little strong."

  Zoe nodded.

  Portia and Karen were with Angel. It was now three to three, and we hadn't heard from Serena or Lara. But they had both eaten their share of the beans.

  "I wouldn't make them myself," Serena said. "But I'd eat them if you make them again. But less salt."

  Everyone turned to Lara. "Well?" Michaela asked.

  "I wouldn't have minded a few more," Lara said. "Damn it. Now we have to try everything else she makes."

  Zoe whooped with joy, which was infectious. All of us could understand.

  "Wait!" said Scarlett. "What do you mean, we have to try everything else? Can I change my vote?"

  "Too late," Zoe said. "I have to make rice. It takes twenty minutes. I'll make everything else I need while the rice is cooking, if someone can roast my vegetables without ruining them."

  "They're vegetables," Lara said. "They come pre-ruined."

  That earned her some snickers and a glare from Zoe.

  "We won't ruin your dinner," she added.

  "A few black edges is fine," Zoe said. "I like to shake them in olive oil, salt and pepper. The oil will leak, however. If that's a problem, then I'll do them on the stove."

  "No, that's good," Lara said. "We'll take care of your vegetables. Everyone's hungry, so if you start now, we'll time everything to be done in twenty-five minutes."

  "Perfect."

  It was Karen that ended up manning the grill. Michaela came inside and hung out in the kitchen with Zoe and me, so Zoe put her to the spice test. She moved a couple of the spices I liked aside, and Zoe was satisfied.

  Right on time, cooking was done. We carried everything outside and found the big table was in place on the deck and places set. The platters of fish and steaks were on the table.

  "Let's put Zoe and Elisabeth down here, away from the good stuff."

  Zoe served my plate and hers: rice, some sort of bean dish in a dark sauce, and then a dish with potatoes and cauliflower. I eyed everything dubiously and looked down at the fish mournfully.

  "Just try it," Zoe said. "This is called aloo gobi." She pointed to the potatoes and cauliflower. "It's basically curried potatoes. These are curried chickpeas. I made them with coconut milk curry sauce to spread over the rice. This will be your best source of protein."

  After that, she helped everyone else. She made everyone sniff both dishes then said, "If you can't stand the scent of either of them, then you're going to hate them. If you like either, then take a little rice and then a little of each of the dishes that smelled good. The aloo gobi can be eaten without rice, but I like it together. The chickpeas you'll definitely want over rice."

  Everyone tried the potatoes, but the chickpeas were looked at with a variety of looks from indifference to derision. Zoe saw the looks but didn't seem flustered.

  Then we dived in.

  I tried one of the potatoes first. Potatoes were one of the few vegetables the pack ate, and so it was safest. Zoe watched me carefully.

  "That's pretty good," I admitted. "But we eat potatoes."

  "Yeah, but these aren't French fries, and they aren't smothered in butter and gravy. Try a cauliflower."

  In the end, the potato dish was pretty good. The chickpeas were edible, but I still eyed the rapidly disappearing fish mournfully.

  Zoe leaned over to me and whispered into my ear, "I wouldn't ever have asked you to do this. I'm happy you tried everything, and I'm sorry you don't like it."

  Michaela heard every word, of course, but she didn't say anything.

  "You could make the potato thing again," I said back. "And the edamame was good." I eyed the chickpeas. "These aren't bad, but my body doesn't really recognize this as food."

  "They taste okay?"

  "Yeah, but I'm still hungry."

  "There's more."

  From past her, Michaela leaned over. She had an extra plate with a helping of fish and steak. "
Zoe, will you be offended if I let her off the hook? Her body really does need a lot of concentrated protein. She worked hard today."

  "No," Zoe said. "I'm pleased she tried it. I'm tickled pink she liked some of it." She paused. "You know your body, Elisabeth."

  And so I found myself with the food my body wanted. I eyed both women, but Michaela nodded permission, and Zoe didn't seem at all upset.

  I dived in.

  Zoe didn't watch me eat, but when I was done, she leaned against me. "Feeling better."

  "Yeah."

  "Did you get enough?"

  "I'd like more of the potatoes and some rice," I said.

  I think I made her day.

  "I didn't care for cauliflower though."

  "It's better for you," she said.

  Michaela leaned over. "She needs calories."

  "Of course," Zoe said. "I made plenty."

  She helped me serve up, and then Lara asked, "Are there more of those potatoes? What did you call them, Zoe?"

  "Aloo gobi," she said. "It's an Indian dish."

  "You know," said Scarlett, "I'd try another small helping of those with some rice."

  Zoe passed everything down then leaned against me, smiling. A few minutes later, she leaned further and whispered into my ear, "Do they like me?"

  Michaela's ears twitched, I'm sure they did.

  "You'll be able to tell later," I replied. "If they tease you."

  * * * *

  A half hour later, we collected around a modest fire. Rather than chairs, we had large logs set up, and we used them for back rests, sitting on the grass itself. Zoe was pressed against me with my arm around her. We got a fire going, and then Lara stepped forward.

  "Does everyone have something to drink?" She looked around. "Good. We had a good day today. It was a nice flight up, a lovely time out on the water, some good fun, and then a surprising dinner."

  Lara looked around. "I want to thank all of you for making everything possible. Michaela and Angel, thank you for the gift of your fish. Zoe, you introduced us to some new foods. I don't believe they'll become regulars in anyone's diet, but it was fun to try something new. Will you have more surprises for us?"

  "I'll keep trying," she replied. "I can do a lot with different spices, but if your bodies crave meat, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to satisfy you."

  "Karen, thank you for grilling. The food was excellent, as always."