Fox Run

by Robin Roseau

  Lara gestured, and I used my chopsticks to gracefully transfer three of the pieces to my plate. Lara did the same. After that, I used my fingers to eat, dipping the fish lightly into the soy sauce. My first piece was salmon, my second favorite, and I slipped the fish and rice into my mouth, closing my eyes and moaning with joy at the flavor.

  When I opened my eyes again, Lara was looking at me while wearing an amused expression.

  "I have never figured out why sushi causes that reaction in me, Alpha, but I won't apologize for it."

  "You have no reason to apologize. That one expression brought me great joy, and I believe Hiraku was also witness. You offer honor to his food."

  I ate my next piece, which was octopus. Not my favorite, and normally I would have skipped it, but I didn't want the alpha to think I lacked daring. She never took her eyes from me while eating her own pieces, although clearly she enjoyed them nearly as much as I did.

  "The octopus is not as much to your liking? You didn't have to take it."

  I looked down at my plate. Waiting for me was a single piece of maguro nigiri. Tuna. I tapped the plate. "This is my guilty pleasure."

  "Why guilty?"

  "Because of severe over fishing. If I were true to my calling as a conservationist, I would eat no meat at all, and tuna would definitely be forbidden."

  And then I picked up the fish and slid it into my mouth, closing my eyes and moaning in pleasure. I knew Lara would be watching me, but I refused to be embarrassed.

  And of course, when I opened my eyes, there she was, watching me with an amused smile. "You are such a delight," she said. "To get a reaction like that from my wolves, it would be due to the amounts of food, not from one sliver of fish on a tiny sampling of rice."

  After that, I watched Lara eat, although I did help myself to one more piece of tuna. The teenage girl stopped by with the California and spicy tuna rolls. "Papa-san asks if the fox would care for more maguro nigiri."

  "Yes," Lara said. "She would."

  "No," the fox said. "But thank him for me."

  The girl suddenly didn't know what to do. She looked back and forth between us.

  "Please, Alpha," I said. "The tuna fisheries are all collapsing."

  She nodded and said to the girl. "The maguro has been lovely but should be savored, not devoured."

  She nodded and bowed, backing away.

  Both rolls were made smaller than normally done, with more pieces than normal. I appreciated the sensitivity towards fox appetites. I took one piece each of the California and spicy tuna rolls, enjoying them immensely.

  After that I was full. Lara continued to eat, although she left the last piece of tuna and half of the remaining spicy tuna roll on their platters. My eyes kept dipping to the tuna.

  Finally Lara said, "One of us is going to eat them, Michaela, and you will enjoy them far more than I will."

  I ate the final piece of nigiri but left everything else to the alpha. It was more food than I wanted, but I enjoyed the final piece of tuna just as much as I had the first.

  "You will think I am a pig," she said.

  "Not at all," I replied. "What does your wolf weigh, Lara?"

  She laughed. "You just asked me what I weigh?"

  "My fox is only a third of my human form," I replied. "So I was curious."

  She looked away, not answering.

  "All right," I said. "Don't answer. But I am feeding a thirty-pound fox. You are feeding a wolf four times that size. Please eat whatever you require."

  Lara smiled and finished everything on the plate. When the girl stopped back at our table, Lara asked for "more of whatever is plentiful, sized for a wolf." She looked at me. "You truly are done?" I nodded.

  "I know nothing about you," she said. "Will you enlighten me?"

  "What would you like to know, Alpha?"

  "Not Alpha," she said. "Lara. Please."

  "All right, Lara," I replied. "What would you like to know?"

  "To start? Where did you grow up?"

  "New England," I replied. "There was a small community of foxes deep in the mountains in New Hampshire."

  "I didn't know that," Lara said.

  "They aren't there anymore." I looked away, not wanting to think about the reason why.

  Lara reached across the table and cupped my hand. She was more sensitive than I would have expected. "Why Bayfield?"

  "You already know that. It fits my job, of course, but it is also the furthest I could get from the wolves. Five hours from Madison. The Duluth pack mostly stays in Minnesota. There are wolves in the Michigan upper peninsula, but they mostly keep to themselves. The Green Bay pack is inconsequential and seems to be happy with Door County."

  "You really have made your life choices around avoiding us?" Lara asked.

  "Yes."

  "Michaela, I have said, you are safe in Madison."

  I smiled, but it was not a smile of warmth. "Alpha-"

  "Lara," she said, interrupting.

  "Not for this conversation. Alpha, how much of your pack knows about our date?"

  "Almost no one."

  "All right. I think perhaps a demonstration of my safety is in order."

  She cocked her head. "You are perfectly safe."

  "There is a were nightclub in town, yes?"

  "Yes. The Iron Dog."

  "After dinner, we will go there."

  "All right," she said.

  "Separately. You will arrive first and say nothing to anyone about me. I will arrive in a cab. And tell the ones who know about me to remain silent. We shall see how safe a fox is in your territory."

  Her expression clouded, but she nodded. I changed the subject, asking about her house.

  Making a Dangerous Point

  Later, our dinner finished, I told Lara, "If the wolves at the club know we are together, it will spoil my demonstration."

  She frowned. "You seem to think you know my wolves better than I do."

  "Will you allow my demonstration without any, shall we say, impurities?"

  She nodded and made a gesture. Immediately David was at the table.

  "Alpha?"

  Lara outlined our plan. David tightened his lips but said nothing. "I will see to it." He backed away from the table, then moved around the restaurant, speaking in a few ears.

  "Rumor will arrive anyway," I said. "But perhaps we will arrive in front of rumor. You should get there first. My demonstration will not take long. You wouldn't want to miss it."

  "David will drive you," she said.

  "No. Being seen with David will sully the experiment. I will call a cab."

  She nodded. "I will see you shortly." I walked outside with her, watching her as she walked to her car. I had to admit, she had a great figure. I stared, and I didn't stop staring when she turned around to look at me. She grinned and blew me a kiss.

  I used my cell phone to call for a cab, waiting a scant ten minutes for my ride. When the cab arrived, driven by a human. I slipped into the back and told the driver, "The Iron Dog. Do you know where it is?"

  He turned around and looked at me. "A little woman like you should not go there. Perhaps I can recommend somewhere more appropriate."

  I smiled. "I am meeting friends. The Iron Dog, please."

  He frowned, but he engaged the meter and pulled away from the curb.

  During the drive, I texted Lara. "I admit, I do not know if your presence will vary the experiment, but I won't go if you aren't there."

  "I thought about that," came the reply. "I used the back entrance. People know I am here, but I am being subtle."

  "As subtle as an alpha wolf?" I wrote back.

  "LOL," was the reply.

  I thought about it for a minute before sending back, "You have a great ass, Alpha."

  There wasn't a reply.

  The Iron Dog was a converted warehouse from the days long before just in time delivery. It was surrounded by other warehouses, some dilapidated, some clearly converted into condominiums or offices.

>   "Are you sure, lady?" the drier asked, turning to face me.

  I nodded and paid his bill before climbing out. He had pulled up directly to the entrance. I took a breath and tried to dampen down my fear.

  This had been a bad idea, but I couldn't back out now.

  I stepped for the door, then stepped aside as the door burst open and a pair of wolves came stumbling out, one male, one female, their arms around each other. I got out of their way, and they were past me before they turned around as a unit. The male growled.

  "You're in the wrong place," the female said.

  "I thought this bar was open to all weres," I told her.

  She shrugged. "It's your fur. Come on, Dean." She pulled on her partner, tugging him away from me.

  "Maybe we should stay a while," the male said.

  "No," said the female. "We're going home."

  I turned my back on them and stepped through the door, recoiling at the overwhelming scent of wolf. I steeled my resolve and stepped into the club, looking around furtively.

  I caught David's eye immediately. He looked at me and nodded casually, then looked pointedly deeper into the club, lifting his eyes. I followed his gaze and saw Lara at a second floor table overlooking the dance floor. She was watching me.

  It only took two more steps before the other wolves began to notice me.

  The club was basic. The entrance was in the middle of one long wall with the bar to the right, a dance floor in the middle, and tables everywhere. There was a second floor around three of the walls, the rest of the club open to the warehouse ceiling. The club was about half full with a selection of wolves and humans. Those humans present looked pretty rough. I wondered if the humans knew they were surrounded by the wolves.

  I was noticed right away. At first it was just a couple of double takes. I made my way to the bar, doing everything I could to avoid getting in anyone's way, stepping aside from even the most submissive of wolf. Still, I was rudely bumped several times just making it to the edge of the bar.

  There were two bartenders, one male, one female, both wolves. I was near the end closest to the door, finding an open seat. David was further to my right with several seats between us, two filled, the rest empty. The stools on either side of me were clear when I sat down.

  I tried to get the attention of one of the bartenders. Both of them walked past me several times, handling orders for everyone else. I became increasingly insistent, but they stepped past me. I watched as the male began washing glasses, his back turned towards me. I glanced over at David. He called out, "Wanda." I shook my head, and he nodded just once. Wanda got David another beer, then ignored me as she walked back to the other end of the bar.

  I shrugged at David then reached across the bar and grabbed an empty glass and the soda fountain dispenser. I poured myself a soda, replacing the dispenser. The male wolf was there immediately, growling at me. "That will be ten bucks," he said.

  "For a soda?"

  "Ten bucks."

  I fished two fives out of my purse. The bartender pocketed them and moved on.

  Someone bumped me from behind. I didn't see who it was, but I got a good elbow across the back of my head. I wasn't drinking at the time, so I avoided spilling. When I turned around, whoever had hit me was lost in the crowd.

  I glanced around, making sure I was temporarily safe, and quaffed down a slug of my soda, setting it down quickly, almost to the far edge of the bar. I tried to make myself as small as I could.

  A female wolf stepped up to the bar next to me. "You don't belong here," she said. "Get out while you can."

  "I'm not bothering anyone," I replied. "I am sitting here, minding my own business."

  "You're a fool," she said. She walked away, never having ordered a drink.

  Not all wolves are assholes. She had just done what she could. I didn't expect she would interfere again.

  I got bumped again. There was no need for it, which meant it was intentional and not caused by close quarters. Besides, no were is so clumsy to bump someone unless it is indeed intentional.

  So far, however, nothing had been horribly overt. I'm sure Lara by now knew how uncomfortable I must be, but she needed to watch the situation degrade. She needed to understand how low her beloved wolves would go.

  I already knew.

  I hoped she would stop it before it went too far.

  A group of female werewolves joined me at the bar, consuming the available seats on both sides of me. "There aren't enough stools," one of them said. There were more stools at the other end of the bar.

  "Sure there are," another said. She grabbed the back of my stool and dumped me out of it. I actually hadn't expected that, and I bounced off the bar. Another wolf grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the bar and gave me a shove away. Only my were reflexes kept me from getting shoved to the floor.

  I glanced up, and Lara was standing up, glaring down. I shook my head just once, and she sat down.

  But I was in trouble now. I was now in the middle of the room, and the wolves began herding me. I turned towards the entrance, and there were two large males standing in my way. I turned towards the bar, but there was a female standing in my way, and when I tried to step around her, she stepped into my path and growled.

  I backed away and bumped into another wolf, who growled and gave me a shove.

  After that, it quickly turned into a game of pinball. I was the ball.

  At first, the only wolves involved were the ones who were intentionally playing. They kept giving me a false route to safety, but one of them always managed to step into my path every time I took a step. If I had more room, I may have been able to out-maneuver them; my fox reflexes were faster than wolf reflexes. Across open ground, they could easily outrun me, but in tight quarters, I should be able to react faster.

  But the quarters were a little too tight, and there were a lot of wolves.

  The ones playing with me were not the dominant ones. These were the submissive wolves, the ones who have to take it from the rest of the pack. They finally had someone weaker than they were, and they were enjoying it. As long as I left them alone, the dominant wolves actually weren't the problem. But even the smallest of wolves could snap me like a twig.

  Eventually I got shoved into a dominant wolf. He growled at me and grabbed me by the throat. "You spilled my beer," he said. Then he looked past me and shoved me away.

  It went downhill from there.

  I managed to stay silent through all this, but the wolves herded me out onto the dance floor. I made a dash for freedom, but was cut off. Another dash, and I was cut off. And then I got shoved into one of the dancers, a dominant female, and she turned to me. Before I could react, she had me by the hair, pulling my up and backwards and growling.

  It hurt, and I yelped. I tried not to, but I couldn't help it. And in that, I went from frightened, weak victim to frightened, weak prey.

  That was when I heard the growl, rising over all the other growls in the room. The female yanking on my hair had turned me to face back the way I had come, and I saw Lara in all her fury, her growl increasing in volume until the entire room grew still.

  She leapt from the balcony, landing cleanly on the floor amongst the tables, then took three more bounds, screaming out, "Mine!" before landing in front of me.

  The wolf holding me backed up suddenly, not releasing my hair, and I yipped again from surprise and pain.

  "Mine!" Lara yelled again, glaring at the other wolf. "Release her!"

  "I did not know, Alpha," the other wolf said, releasing my hair with a shove. I fell to the floor with another yip, then curled up, quivering at the alpha's feet.

  The alpha growled, and I quivered, my flight mechanism shut down, and all I could think of was "hide, be small, hide, be small." I made myself as small as I could and tried to draw no further attention.

  I listened to Lara berate her wolves. "You should all be ashamed. Is this how we treat a visitor to our city?"

  "She's just a-" someone st
arted to say. It didn't get finished. There were still humans in the bar, so no one said, "fox" loud enough for the humans to hear.

  "She is a person," Lara said, "and she deserves to be treated with respect. It is our job to protect people like this, not victimize them. I am ashamed right now."

  And then she knelt down to me. "Are you all right?"

  I couldn't answer.

  Then I felt her touch. She reached underneath me and lifted me into her arms, easily picking me up off the floor. I clung to the alpha as she carried me out of the now silent bar. Along the way, David stepped in front of us to lead the way, holding the front door. I saw Eric and Jason settle in behind us, flanking the alpha.

  "Shhh," Lara said to me. "You are safe now, Michaela. I'm so sorry. Shhh."

  I clung to her and continued to quiver. She was strong, and I realized that I felt safe with her. When had that happened? Maybe safety was a relative term. She was still a wolf.

  David led the way to the limousine, opening and holding the door for us. "Get in," Lara said. "I'll hand her to you." David slipped into the car and Lara tried to pass me in to him, but I clung to her. She pried my arms from around her neck like she might a child's, and I felt strong, male, wolfy arms taking me from her.

  My panic started to return, and as soon as David had drawn me into the car, I jerked away from him, retreating as far as I could in the car. Lara climbed in afterwards and tried to make soothing noises.

  "Shh, Michaela, David would never hurt you."

  "Wolf," I said quietly. "Wolf. Wolf. Run. Hide. Wolf!"

  Lara moved to my side of the car, sitting next to me as I tried to shrink into the corner of the seat.

  "Please, let me go. Let me go." I made a quick grasp for the door handle, but Lara caught my hands and pulled me into her arms.

  "Shhh," Lara said again. "Breath deeply, little fox. Remember me now. Shhh."

  I couldn't help it, I breathed in her scent, that scent of safety I had learned earlier, and suddenly I found myself clutching at her, allowing her to hold me to her, my face buried in her neck, breathing in her scent.

  And then Eric climbed into the car with us, and my panic went through the ceiling.

  "Wolf!" I yelled then began keening. I tried to hide behind Lara, tried to burrow into the seat like I could dig my way to safety, but she pulled me more tightly against her, holding my head against her neck, and I keened and whimpered in fear.