Charming? I didn't know what to make of those words. “Like another date? Without the press gawking at us?”
“Better than that.”
Hero dashed through the winds with me right behind him. “Feel it run through you, Roxie. There is no greater thrill in the world.”
I felt my adrenaline pumping, I never imagined I could go that fast. Running and leaping, trying to stay up with Hero. My new body was beginning to feel more natural by the minute. The only thing I didn't know yet was how to change back, but that would come with time.
Before we left my world again, I gazed at it. A world that I truly would have belonged to, but that I didn't belong to anymore. Even if there had been some villagers there, I would never have stayed. I had another life back in the world I had thought was mine almost my whole life. Maybe one day, when I knew my wolfish self better, then I could come back. I had enough of a journey ahead of me though. Learning to fight. Another date with Hero. Learning how to live in my world with this new knowledge. When I got married, could I still go to school? Would I be safe out there? Would the heat come back between us? Did I still have to marry him? “Hero?”
“Yes, Roxie.”
“You said that I should embrace both selves, but I can't be a wolf out on the street. People will assume I am a project.”
“No, they won't. I am the only white wolf and you are the only tiger colored wolf. People will know about us before you know it. News travels fast.”
Trapped inside a den somewhere, all day, every day. The thought before had snuck up in my mind, but as a wolf? It would feel like a prison. “Things have changed, I’m not in heat anymore. There could be another option now. We can talk to the community leaders. Territory leaders, they are the final say, right?” I asked.
“Yeah.” His voice was kept low as we departed from the world.
Chapter 12: Not Playing Fair
~Roxie~
The next day when we returned back, I had my parents stay close to my hidden location with me. I wasn’t allowed to leave for anything, Hero demanded only my parents could leave to bring me things. I couldn’t even go outside. With everything that happened, Hero wouldn’t let up on any safety measures. Greg was dealt with by Hero too. I don’t know what that meant, but he was no longer there or needed. Whatever that heat cycle had been, it had disappeared for now.
I thought that I’d be safe. That Hero stressed over nothing, and that I might not even have to get married after all. I thought that less than twenty-four hours ago.
It started with some light scratching at my bedroom window, but changed into fierce growling. Pounding. There was no doubt in my mind, my heat cycle had begun again, and it was more terrible than ever. I had to give my undying oath to Hero that I would wear the brooch that contacted him on me at all times. I immediately pushed the hiding button in its eye. Hero had always been fast, it would be okay. I wish I could just tell my beating heart that.
“Roxie!” I heard my mother scream from downstairs. I tried to go toward the door but I heard scratching at it. They had made it inside the house. Not just one pair of claws, tons of scratching. I went toward my window and looked out. There were ten wolves on our roof patio and more were trying to jump on.
This wasn't going to take a simple beat on the window that made them go away. They were smart and cunning, not the typical projects. “Hero, where are you?” I heard my mother scream again but the door to my room burst open. There were at least ten wolves in the hallway, all of them eyeing me.
“Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” the first wolf said as he entered my room, “and don't bother thinking Hero will show up this time. We've got him entertained with some heavy projects right now. Nothing like the amount here, but enough that it distracted him first.” He growled as he approached me.
Hero. Hero warned me several times that the majority would win, and one day he couldn’t protect me. I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t, but he was nowhere around, and wolves were coming all around me. “Once his smell is off of you and ours is on, he won't want anything to do with you anymore. So, how should we do this?”
“Why don't you fight it out? Where are the alphas?” I knew that had been a problem once, and I was hoping it would buy some time.
“That would be me and that's settled. Get on that bed.” The wolf who spoke jumped on me and pushed me on the bed. I struggled. “Going to change form? I heard a rumor that you’ve got fur as gorgeous as the sun.”
“I don’t know how to change, it just happens.”
“Too bad then. We’ll save it for next time, and don't worry, we got the order worked out. We know how Hero arrived each time, and it won't happen this time. Your luck has run out.”
I cried out as wolves began to tear at my clothes. They had even hit my skin, not caring much if they hurt it. My shirt, my skirt, and even my shoes had been ripped off. I was naked, lying with an injury to one of my legs and my arms were covered in fang scratches.
No one was coming this time. I wished so much that Hero would come now. I knew that he’d defeat them and take me, but I didn’t care. I just didn’t want this to happen but he was in a completely different spot. Even if he did start to come, it'd be too late before he got here. I closed my eyes, wishing I would zonk out. Wishing I would wake up and the whole thing would be over with no memory but it wasn't going to happen. I'd remember what happened before I hit the dreaded arousal. I would always remember this part.
“Hero!” I screamed, knowing it was no good. The wolves were drooling on me, and the alpha was already in position. He didn't even care to change into a man. “You are now mine,” he said seething into my ear. “Get ready.”
I felt a large pain on my pelvis, but on my stomach too. Why did I feel pain on my stomach? Cold pain.
As I opened my eyes, I saw a vent on top of me, but it was crushing the alpha wolf. Right beside the bed growling had been Hero.
He came. He bared his fangs, saliva dripping and snapped as he threw off the squashed body of the alpha. Others growled and barked back, but it didn't deter him. “I have conquered your leader. I am rightly the alpha now!” No one agreed, but no one challenged him. He ran to my window and broke it, then came back over to the bed toward me. “Come on, there isn't much time. They are going to oppose my position soon.”
I understood him. There were more wolves out the other way. I rushed out, no time to grab any clothes, I would have to think of modesty later. My adrenaline pumped as I came out of the window. Several wolves tried to grab me, but Hero shot out of the window after me.
“Climb on.”
Naked and desperate, I saw how many wolves were there. They had surrounded my house and even more were coming from the block. Oh, an X, if I could have just been an X. Bladon, he took such good care of me, and I never even knew. There were hundreds of wolves, and soon there would be thousands. I had no choice, I didn’t understand how to transform back and forth. I climbed onto Hero’s back and held onto his fur.
We rode like the wind. Hero jumped toward the chimney and to the next house. Some of the higher wolves followed but Hero had been faster. We stayed on the rooftops until we ran out of them.
By the time we hit the street, there were hardly any wolves on our trail. After another block, it was over. Hero continued to run until he hit the police station doors.
My head was dizzy from the ride, and even though I held on for dear life, my body was about ready to fall off. I heard Bose’s name called, and before I fell unconscious, I remember seeing the lights of the station above me. I was safe.
For now.
~Hero~
Bose said no. He said no and he meant it, but he wasn’t working from the real world of reality. Humankind had seen Roxie’s power, it was all over the news. There was no pretending that she wasn’t the reason for a small onslaught of projects that invaded the territory. Her street and neighbors were basking in the media. The press were asking many questions, including what had happened last n
ight in the tent. They had tried to get confirmation all night long, trying to get me to spill. Like I had thought, they were informed of the rumors. They had spread their own rumors through their poisonous media, so people were aware of what could happen.
It was all a set-up. I tried to resist talking, to get my story and facts straight first, but then Roxie’s neighborhood had been it. It was only a matter of time before humankind decided to do something about her.
I’d seen it a thousand times, especially with those considered aliens. There were ally planets of ours, but it was the ancestors that flew away from Earth and colonialized them all. They weren’t dangerous aliens. They were just ancestors.
No, Roxie came from somewhere that no one knew about. Humanity wasn’t involved in its creation. Didn’t know anything about it’s history. No matter how far we came in technology, the fear of the unknown to man had never changed. A situation would start begrudgingly okay and then somehow manifest itself into a catastrophe because of their fears, but I didn’t care.
Not this time. No matter what it took, I was getting Roxie. Her good name in the media was dashed to pieces, she certainly wasn’t considered safe for marriage anymore with me running down the streets with her naked on my back.
Pictures came out with me naked all the time, but my guardians often took care of it. I had been used to it, I fought naked all the time growing up. When a wolf switched forms, it was just a natural occurrence that happened. Clothes got shredded and they could never stay on.
Roxie wouldn’t be used to that, and the world wasn’t used to seeing her in her new light either. The pictures. The press. I would never be able to win out a marriage now, and Greg wasn’t an option anymore.
There was no choice. I wasn't going to play fair. I wanted Roxie safe. That left one option: Courtezan, and I was going to fight for it hard.
“Damage reports?” Bose asked the other territory leaders.
“Nearly two million on my territory,” one of the leaders said. “All projects who caused it, uncaptured. Total loss of human life, still zero.”
Bose drooped his head toward the table. I had always saved everything. I stopped projects, stopped their destruction, and saved people. I helped with natural disasters too.
I wasn’t the only hero in the entire world, but I was for this planet. I played the role for nothing since I had already amassed a fortune of credits and I didn't do much with it. Add to my secret den? That's about all I had. In the meantime, they were going to learn to give me what I wanted, or they could find their way to attract another hero.
They had no right to complain either, I knew it would come. Did they have any idea how lucky they were to have me live on the planet? Be right here for them? Several planets didn’t have that, they got by without them, or they bought one’s help from a distance away.
There was no shuttle fee, resource fee, time fee, or convenience fee for me. This world basked in the glow of always having someone here when it was needed most.
But now I needed them to understand. This wasn’t being a juvenile. This wasn’t being a rebel. This was about being responsible for the one I needed to be there for. This planet was going to learn or I would find another one to protect that respected me.
“Anything else?” Bose asked the other territory leaders softly.
“Hero stopped by my territory and stopped the projects.” A territory leader got up and went passed Bose. “After I paid his bill.” He slapped the paper in front of Bose. “250,000 out of my own pocket for something he used to do for free. I vote get him the foreign alien woman.”
“I got a bill too, but I couldn't risk paying it,” another one said. “Now I've got twenty projects running around in my territory and the damage has already been worth three times what he asked. I can't get a hold of him to get the offer back.” He just glared at me like I was the one who should speak up. “Even though he’s right there. Right now.”
“I wish I could get an offer,” another one said, “my territory finances are dying. We can't keep going like this.”
“He used to have a salary when he was younger. Mostly, it was considered donation of a job well done before he became an Adventurer. We could pool our money together and create something?” Bose suggested.
“Just give him the woman already,” another one groaned. “One woman. We already know how to do it, we've got the loopholes, and he's even willing to pay.” He hit his head. “I know she’s an unknown alien, and we have no idea what she’s capable of, but what are we going to do when he starts charging to save people's lives?”
No, this leader wasn’t thinking hard enough. That wasn’t the question. “You mean,” Hero corrected him. “What are you going to do when I decide to protect a different planet?”
“He would never do that.” Bose shook his head, speaking about me like I wasn’t even there. Like I didn’t just give my warning. “I've known him since he was a kid, no matter how desperate he is, he'd never leave.”
“But he doesn't mind damages or sending bills,” Bose was reminded once again by someone else.
“What do you want, huh?” Bose held up my new application to show everyone. “Do you all really want to knock on someone's door and say 'we want to buy your daughter to make her a courtezan for Hero, and it doesn't matter what you say, we'll get her because Hero wants her'?” He slammed the application back down. “No! He needs to stay as far away as possible.”
“From some alien project?” Another leader yelled. “In the end, that's what she is. She is this ultra-scented in heat project. A different planet or not, she’s still the same. We can put a media twist on it, she's only a wolf.”
“She was raised as a normal girl. Normal schooling, normal parents, and a normal life.” Bose tapped the application. “This is wrong. This is not what we allow for society's youth.”
“No, standing in the way of nature is wrong,” another one said. “They both go together. Hell, do we really need a wolf walking around out there? Let them work it out in secret. Eventually, they will figure it out.”
“Now you sound like him.” Bose looked toward the application. He must have been remembering my last talk to him. I promised him that I wouldn't treat her like a slave, and he knew that I meant well. He had told me boldfaced that my hormones were the ones in control, not me.
In the battle of nature versus nurture, nature was winning. She was just a dangerous foreign alien, worse than a project to the press. But her history gave her a deeper meaning to Bose, which was the problem. His heart ran deeper than most.
It couldn't keep going this way though, he’d have to give in. Letting projects run free, causing damage, and only cleaning it up after the bill was paid? I was dead serious. I wouldn’t risk Roxie on mankind’s fear.
“By the almighty, Hero,” Bose yelled in the room, “you better know what you’re doing.” Bose marked out the word denied into accepted on the bought application. His conscience would tear at him, but I held all the cards.
Like it or not, I bought Roxie Malone.
~Roxie~
“Are you sure you'll be fine?” I asked my parents as Bose pulled up with some other cars.
“They are following you,” my father pointed out. He shook Bose's hand as they came up. “Thank Hero for trying to help her out. I hope that a private conversation between government officials can help clear this up. If word spreads about her form, maybe she'll be as free as Hero one day?”
“Yes, we'll see.” Bose cleared his throat. “Roxie Malone, please enter the car in the back.” He gestured to the car that had someone holding the door. “I need to speak to your parents a moment and I will catch up.” He watched as I stepped into the car. The door closed behind me and the driver took off. Before I left too far, I heard a shout from my father. I looked toward the back, but it was tinted well. What had Bose said to my father?
When the car stopped, I grabbed my suitcase and closed the door behind me. Once I hit the next territory, I had been blindfolded, and it
hadn't been lifted until we were in the middle of nowhere. I had been sharing one car with only Bose, all the others had left. “Where are we? Are we with the leaders yet?”
“This is where you'll be staying,” Bose said plainly. “We are near Hero's private residence.”
Hero's place? I looked and saw nothing. There was no home anywhere.
“I have to go now but he's waiting.” Bose sniffed. “Tell him I'm taking care of it now.”
“Wait,” I knocked on his window. “I don't see a home. I thought we were meeting in a conference to discuss things?”
“It's there, he's coming.” He took off as I held onto the side of the car. I couldn't keep up though, so he was gone. I turned back around but still didn't see it.
“Roxie.” I heard Hero's voice behind a tree. “This way.” Hero moved faster than me as he played around with some rocks on the side of the mountain. A few buttons were revealed and a door appeared.
Not something I'd choose if I were famous and had lots of money, but I wouldn't complain. I went in after him keeping a fair distance. He kept signaling for me to stay back so far like something would happen if I came too close.
Once we went deeper, I regretted my thoughts before. This place was beautiful. The rock was turning into glass, and the ground had become tiling. My surroundings transcended from cave dwellings to luxury. Glass, ponds, fountains, along with many flora and fauna. It was closer to an indoor greenhouse than a home, but I didn't mind. It felt soothing inside of it.
Hero skipped ahead faster and disappeared. I tried to catch up, but I heard a door close behind me.
“Okay, that's far enough.”
I looked beside myself. On the other side of the glass, Hero looked at me.
“Now we can be truthful.” He held his hand up to mine in the glass. Hero took his hand off the glass, making a stroking motion with his finger against mine on the other side. “I had to push a lot of buttons to get this. When I'm an Adventurer, I save everything. From environment to people. Last night and into this whole day, I've only kept people out of harm's way the best I could. I let damage fall everywhere, and I let projects rule some areas.”
Wolf in Hero Clothing Page 12