by Geonn Cannon
"Good idea."
"I'll call her tonight to see if she's interested in lending a hand."
Dale hesitated and then nodded. "Okay."
"Problem?"
"No." Dale twisted her head to get a windblown strand of hair out of her eyes. "I like Milo. She's a lot of fun. You deserve to have someone you can hang out with."
"You're the only social circle I need."
Dale slipped her arm around Ari's waist and pulled her close. "You can go play with your friend tonight. And if you want to take the wolf out for a run, that'll be fine. You're dealing with an asshole that kidnapped a little girl. I'd be worried if you didn't need to let off a little steam, four-legged style." She pressed closer to Ari and kissed her cheek. "Just remember to call if you need a ride. And if you want to sleep at my place, make sure your feet are warm and clean before you get into bed with me."
"I think those are reasonable conditions. I'll stop by Milo's place later on. For now, I'm all yours." She opened the door to the restaurant for Dale and then followed her inside. No matter how bad the case was, and no matter how strong her urge to "go for a run" became, she would always take the time to let Dale know what her priorities were.
#
Ari pulled into the driveway of Milo's house after dropping Dale off. Half the lights on the first floor were aglow, and she sat behind the wheel for a moment debating whether or not she should go through with what she had planned. She didn't even really know Milo, so was it right to include her in something so potentially dire? It boiled down to the fact that she didn't have much of a choice. She had to be in human form in case of unforeseen difficulties, and a canidae would be perfect camouflage if someone was looking out for observers.
She got out of the car and went to the porch. She almost retreated again when she heard music coming from within. She imagined a party, but the driveway was empty. She knocked and the music ceased. A minute later the door opened and Milo smiled warily out at her. She appeared to be dressed for bed in a V-neck shirt and sweatpants that ended just above the collapsed tops of her green argyle socks. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she leaned against the door, resting one foot on top of the other.
"Ariadne. Uh, hi. I didn't expect you."
"I wasn't sure I was coming. May I come in?"
Milo pushed her hand into her hair. "Uh. Yeah. Come on inside." She stepped out of the door and let Ari in. The stairs were directly ahead, leading up to a darkened landing. To the left was a living room directly out of a finer-things catalogue, and the folding door to the right was open just enough for her to see a dark dining room. Milo stood behind her while she took it in, then finally broke the silence. "Did you, ah... talk to Dale?"
"Oh. Yeah, she said she had a great time. I'm glad she was able to help you with the stashes."
"Yeah." Milo paused. "That's it?"
Ari finally looked at her, confused. "Was there something else?"
"No." Milo shrugged and gestured at the living room. "I just thought that you came by for, ah... I don't know why. Is everything all right?"
"Mostly. I know I said I couldn't talk to you about the kidnapping case I was working on, but it actually turns out you might be able to help me. The exchange is supposed to happen tomorrow on a playground. I have to be there as-is because I'm the one who has been dealing with the kidnapper. But I thought if I had backup it might lead to a... happier conclusion for everyone."
Milo smiled. "Oh, I get it. You want my wolf to keep an eye on things. Brilliant. I love it." She leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "Is that allowed? I mean, do I need to be deputized or anything?"
"No, I think we're good. I'll pay you part of what I get from the client."
"How old is the missing girl?"
"Seven."
Milo shook her head. "Nah, I'll do it for free. It's my civic duty to take down bastards like that."
"Great. The drop is going to happen tomorrow morning. I'll swing by here around eight to pick you up. You'll probably have to be the wolf for a couple hours."
"That's fine. I do it all the time. Love being the wolf."
Ari stood and noticed a piano against the wall next to the living room entrance. "Was that you playing when I knocked?"
"Yeah. It's soothing. I've loved the piano since I was a girl."
Ari nodded, impressed by anyone who could master an instrument. "Well, I'll let you get back to it. Sorry to drop by so late and for the short notice."
"No problem. I'm happy to help." She followed Ari to the door and then stopped her. "Hold up. Maybe you could help me out at the same time. You've already brought me into your business and you let me borrow your girlfriend for the day so I almost hate to ask, but... do you have a pack?"
"A pack?"
"Yeah, other canidae you run with. I mentioned the mates in Yorkshire I ran with. Gets lonely going for runs by myself, so I was thinking if there was a group..."
Ari shook her head. "Not really. I did run with a pack once or twice, but it never really works out for me."
"So you go out alone? All the time?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
Milo shook her head. "Wow. I'm the one who's sorry, if you're all by your lonesome out there. Maybe we could help each other out. I want someone to run with, and you're here... let's go for a run."
Ari chuckled. "Thanks, but I should probably just go."
"Why not? Could be a lot of fun. And it's a little weird we've never seen each other's wolves. I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
Ari hesitated and looked at the front door. The last pack she'd run with was an undercover sting to help out an ex-girlfriend who happened to be a cop. The pack had been run by a fox - literally, a fox - named Sadie Dillon, who led a gang of thieves in a robbery spree. That ended about as bad as it could have. And her past experiences with canidae were less than stellar. It would be nice to have one friend who understood what it was like. And what was she going to do, say no and then go run by herself? She'd never minded being alone before but in this case it seemed ridiculous to refuse.
"What the hell. Why not." She smiled, eager now that she had made the decision. "Where do you want to run?"
"The woods?" She nodded toward the back of the house. "I have a place where we can leave our clothes and get cleaned up afterward. I call it the Thwaite. C'mon."
She turned to go down a hall that ran alongside the stairs and Ari followed. Milo flipped a switch as she opened the backyard and the porch was illuminated by a pair of powerful flood lights. She put a hand against the wall and bent down, perching on one foot and then the other to peel off her socks. She wiggled her toes as she led Ari out into the night air. They crossed the manicured lawn. The woods came right up to the fence, and within a few minutes they were surrounded by thickly-crowded trees and the smell of nature. Milo led Ari to a small pond and peeled off her T-shirt.
"We should have done this yesterday morning. It's one thing to get acquainted on two legs, but our wolves need to meet."
Ari nodded, glad she had changed her mind about doing this. "They do." She turned slightly so she and Milo weren't facing each other and began to undress.
"Shy?"
Ari glanced over her shoulder as Milo pushed down her underwear. "Well, we've only just met. Some etiquette needs to be observed."
Milo chuckled.
Ari draped her clothes over a branch and turned to see Milo was already in the midst of transforming. She was crouched down, one leg against her chest with her arms extended to steeple her fingers against the ground. Her skin seemed to be rippling, her mouth wide as her jaw extended an unnatural distance from her neck.
Ari rolled her shoulders and transformed as well, changing into the wolf on what quickly became hind legs. She dropped forward and pawed at the mud, working her muscles to ruffle her own fur. She turned and approached Milo, who was now a stately white-and-gray wolf. Milo faced her and they sniffed each other briefly, the ritual as natural to them as shaking hands would h
ave been a moment ago.
When the pleasantries were finished, Milo reared back on her hind legs and growled low in her throat. Ari swiped at her with a paw, but Milo easily ducked it and lunged from beneath. She nipped at the side of Ari's snout, making just enough contact to sting without breaking the skin. Ari yelped and threw her weight to the side, knocking herself down and bowling over Milo in the process.
Ari corrected herself first and turned to run. Milo had the benefit of knowing the woods, so she didn't stray too far to give her a chance to catch up. When Milo did reappear, she nipped Ari's shoulder as she past, barking in a way that was almost like a laugh as she ducked around a tree and out of sight. Ari growled and yipped and put on an extra burst of speed to get her revenge.
Within twenty minutes the police had received seven different calls complaining about hearing the "howling of wild dogs" in the park.
Chapter Ten
Human again, Milo dropped flat on her back with her arms stretched out to either side, and exhaled sharply. Her skin shined in the moonlight, sweat glistening off her chest and stomach as she settled against the mud. Ari was right behind her, transforming on all fours and then rolling onto her side. They were next to the pond, their clothes within reach but neither of them willing to waste the energy needed to stand up and get them.
Ari's hands and feet were coated with mud, and she was struggling to catch her breath after what felt like a marathon run. The trees overhead were too thick for her to see the moon, but she still had a general idea of where they were in relation to Milo's house. She looked over to see Milo watching her, a thin webbing of dark hair falling across her face. She smiled, and Ari found something about that hilarious and began laughing. Milo joined her. They had spent at least two hours racing each other in circles, setting ambushes and tackling each other through the underbrush. Even when they were scored by branches or thorns, they didn't bother stopping to check the damage. Ari had thought at one point Milo had raced headlong into a rosebush only to discover a carefully concealed passage that was only visible if it was seen head-on.
Milo finally got her laughter under control and sighed. "God, I'm jiggered." She looked over at Ari and scanned her body. "Not shy now, are ya."
"Screw modesty." Ari chuckled and wiped her hand under her nose, still adjusting to being back in her human body.
"Heh." Milo chuckled quietly and then said, "Did I leave any marks on ya?"
"Oh." Ari raised both arms to look, then lifted her head to examine her body. "No, I don't think so. Did I?"
"Nah." Milo exhaled sharply and pushed her hair back. "Hell fire! That was exactly what I needed."
Ari snorted. "Yeah. Who won?"
"I think you did. You tossed me arse over tit more'n once. Nice job, for a city wolf."
"You held your own." Ari flexed her toes and grimaced. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her back to try working through the pain building at the base of her spine.
Milo noticed. "Y'awright?"
"Yeah. Just a little sore. It happens sometimes after I change." She pushed her elbows into the mud and arched her back, working to find a more comfortable position. She curled her toes and let the mud form around her body shape. She sighed as she settled in and closed her eyes until the pain subsided enough for her to clean herself in the water. She knew she needed to get at least a few hours of sleep before the scheduled meet, but for now the mud was far too comfortable. And a night as the wolf was sometimes as refreshing as a night's rest.
After a few minutes Milo sat up. Mud and sweat marred her back as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She looked down at Ari and then dropped her hand. She dragged her fingers over Ari's thigh and hip, sending shivers up and down her body. Ari smiled nervously and swatted her hand away.
"Cut that out."
"You're gorgeous, you know?" Milo rested her cheek on her knee. "Both you and your wolf." She flattened her hand and ran it along the bottom curve of Ari's belly, between her navel and pubic hair.
Ari looped her fingers around Milo's wrist. She gently but without hesitation moved it. She sat up, ignoring the shock of pain that shot through her bones.
"I'm with Dale, Milo."
"Sure. But your wolf..." She leaned in and pressed her lips to Ari's, starting a kiss that Ari ended by pressing her arm across Milo's chest and shoving. Milo rocked back on her haunches. "What? What's wrong?"
"I'm Dale's. Completely."
Emotions flew across Milo's face too quickly for Ari to name them all. Milo turned to look at the water and then pushed herself up. "Sorry."
"It's fine. Forget it happened."
Milo crouched and began to quickly wash the mud from her hands and arms. After a moment Ari joined her at the banks. The water lapped against their bare toes as they scrubbed themselves clean just slightly more than arms-length apart.
"Still hurt?"
Ari glanced over. Milo's tone was flat, but Ari could tell she was trying to move past the awkwardness. "It's faded a little. It's fine. I'm used to it."
"How come it hurts you like that?"
Ari sighed. "It's a long story. I wasn't exactly born like most canidae."
"What, you were bit?" Some of her emotion came back.
"Nothing like that. My mother was canidae, so I should have inherited it from her. I didn't. So she found a doctor who did a procedure that..." She waved her hand in the air. "It was highly dangerous, there was probably a fifty-fifty chance that I would die, but instead I grew up to become a woman who is very bitter about her mother."
Milo whistled. "You'd never know it. You're a natural from what I saw of ya. Most of us, we choose one side or the other. They're wolves who can act human, or a human who can become a wolf. You walk the line very well."
"Thanks."
"Could you..." She rubbed her eyebrow with one bent finger. "I'd rather Dale not know that I tried to, ah... take advantage of you. I think the three of us have a pretty good start here and I'd hate to think I ruined it. I got between a mate and his girl once before, and it nearly destroyed us all. It's still hard to be in the same room with them both at the same time. Please. I'd hate to think I've ruined all the hard work we've put into the last two days."
Ari wasn't keen on the idea of lying to Dale, even if it was a lie of omission, but it would be a shame to let such a promising friendship falter because of one indiscretion.
"It's a new friendship, you had to test the boundaries. Now that you know where the line is, you won't cross it again."
"Right. So we're good?"
"Yeah, we're fine." She held out her hand and Milo shook it.
They finished washing up and retrieved their clothes. Ari stuffed her socks into her shoes and carried them back to the house, scrubbing her feet clean on the grass as she walked. When Milo started up the back yard she paused and stared at the back window.
"Something wrong?"
"Did I turn on the dining room light when we left?"
Ari tried to remember. The room they'd left from was off the dining room, and Ari remembered it being dark behind her. But now the window was brightly lit.
"I don't think you did. I have my phone in the car if you want to call someone."
"No. I know who it is." Milo shook her head in disappointment and then looked at her. "Ah, no offense, Ari, but I think I have an unexpected visitor. Would you mind going around the side of the house to your car?"
Ari looked at the house. "Everything okay, Milo?"
"Yeah. It's just far too late for introductions and explanations and... I think it would just be best if we put it off for now."
"Sure. If you're sure everything's okay."
Milo shrugged. "Nothing more dangerous than family. You know how it is. Want to make sure wee Millie is behaving herself in America. Even if I just introduce you as a friend, they'll think you're more and then the interrogation will begin, and--"
"Got ya. We're still on for tomorrow morning?"
"Eight sharp. I'll be
ready."
Ari nodded. She took the time to put on her shoes without socks, then let Milo walk her to the side yard.
"And thanks for understanding about the kiss. Sometimes I get a bit hot under the collar when I'm the wolf, and that makes me act daft."
"Happens to the best of us. Good luck with whatever's waiting for you in there."
Milo grunted and groaned. "I'm gonna need it. Give Dale a kiss for us, yeah?"
"Will do. Good night."
"Night."
Ari waited for Milo to go into the house before she took the long way back to the front of the house. A black sedan had appeared at the curb since Ari's arrival, and she took a moment to walk down and give it the once-over. She bent down and sniffed near the door handle, the one place the driver was certain to touch it. She wrinkled her nose. There was a miasma of coffee and cigarette smoke, thick perfume. Whoever was in the house was female, but without becoming the wolf Ari wasn't able to tell anything else.
She decided it was just as Milo said, some well-to-do dowager aunt come to make sure Milo wasn't frivolously throwing away her inheritance in the colonies. She went to her car and checked the time on her phone before she pulled out of the driveway. A few minutes past one in the morning. She waited until she was at a stoplight before she considered which destination she was heading toward. Home, where she could get plenty of rest to prepare for the morning? Or to Dale's, where she could get a little less rest but have the comfort of being in her partner's arms.
In the end, it wasn't much of a choice.
#
Dale drifted awake to the vague awareness that someone was in her bedroom, but the primal side of her mind recognized Ari's shape or gait and prevented her from panicking. When she woke properly a few minutes before five, Ari was in bed with her and fast asleep. Dale turned around and put her arms around Ari's wait to pull her close. She kissed Ari's neck and fell asleep with her lips still partially pursed.
The alarm woke them both at six. They showered together and Dale took it upon herself to scrub the mud from the soles of Ari's feet to make sure they were fully clean. Ari had a few clothes in Dale's dresser, which she decided made it technically one of her stashes. If it was, it was definitely her favorite. She chose non-descript clothes - a green T-shirt and jeans with a lightweight leather jacket. She found a satchel out of Dale's closet and took it with her into the living room.