parents to talk about her academic progress. She was doing amazingly well, and I thought it was important for them to know.
I cancelled the third meeting, claiming I had too much grading to do.
Lara stopped by my office in the school. I looked up to see her standing in the doorway. "Hey," I said. "I wasn't expecting to see you until later."
"I finished early. Walk with me?"
"I have all this grading," I said.
"Short walk."
"All right," I said. I came around my desk and folded myself into her arms first, accepting a strong hug and brief kiss. Then she wrapped an arm around me and pulled me out into the hallway.
Elisabeth was there. So were Karen, Eric and Rory. The latter three were in fur.
"I don't have time for a run," I said.
"Just a walk," Lara said. She pulled me to the entrance. The other wolves followed us in flanking positions, keeping a respectful distance, but clearly on protective duty.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"Then why do we have such a sizeable protective detail in our own compound?"
"Don't worry about them," she said. "Walk with me."
She led me across the courtyard to our athletic field. We wandered the field; it felt aimless. The enforcers followed us at a careful distance, and it was making me nervous.
"What's going on, Lara?" I asked . "Whatever you have to tell me: just spit it out."
"There's nothing to tell. I had a few minutes and I wanted to spend them with you."
She was full of shit, but it was clear she'd tell me in her own time. I told her she was full of shit, then bumped her with my hip so she knew I was okay. She squeezed my shoulder with her arm, and we walked around quietly, not talking.
Finally she led me back to the school. But instead of bringing me to my office, we went upstairs, the enforcers flanking us.
I didn't realize where she was leading me until we were standing outside Vivian's office door. I looked up at her. I looked at the enforcers. They were between me and the exits.
"Shitty trick, Lara," I told her.
"I know."
"No one is supposed to know about this," I said.
"No one does," Lara replied.
"Well they do now."
"No. I told them to escort me around for a while, that there was something troubling me, and I couldn't figure it out, and just to give me some time."
"But they're here so I won't run."
"Yes," she confirmed.
"And they know that?"
"No, but if you run, I'll order them to stop you. And then they'll find out."
"Lara, don't make me do this. I don't want to talk to her."
"Then don't. Go in and stare at her for a while, then leave."
I glanced at the enforcers. "Do I have a choice?"
"Please, Michaela," Lara said. "Don't think of it that way. Go in. Talk. Don't talk. Tell her what you had for breakfast. Tell her you're mad at me for tricking you. I don't care. But you need to keep seeing her, and you know it."
"She isn't helping. She's delving into things that are best forgotten."
Lara kissed me on the forehead then pulled me forward and opened the door, gently ushering me inside.
"How long do I have to stay?"
"Half hour," she said.
"Fine," I said. "But you're not getting any tonight."
I pulled out of her arm, stepped into the room, and plopped down in the chair, sulking. The door closed behind me, and I heard the wolves in the hall walk away. I glanced over my shoulder at the door.
"She'll bring you back," Vivian said.
I turned to face her. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."
"I know." She looked at me sadly. "Will you talk to me about your house?"
"My house?"
She nodded. "Yes. I gather you are very proud of it, although you don't ever really say so."
"You don't really want to know about my house," I said.
"Why not?"
I looked into her face. "Will you answer some of my questions for once?"
"You can ask," she said. "I may not have answers for you."
"Are you a good psychiatrist?"
"I believe so," she said.
"And a psychiatrist is a type of medical doctor. You went to med school." She nodded. "You have patients that pay you."
"I
I cancelled the third meeting, claiming I had too much grading to do.
Lara stopped by my office in the school. I looked up to see her standing in the doorway. "Hey," I said. "I wasn't expecting to see you until later."
"I finished early. Walk with me?"
"I have all this grading," I said.
"Short walk."
"All right," I said. I came around my desk and folded myself into her arms first, accepting a strong hug and brief kiss. Then she wrapped an arm around me and pulled me out into the hallway.
Elisabeth was there. So were Karen, Eric and Rory. The latter three were in fur.
"I don't have time for a run," I said.
"Just a walk," Lara said. She pulled me to the entrance. The other wolves followed us in flanking positions, keeping a respectful distance, but clearly on protective duty.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"Then why do we have such a sizeable protective detail in our own compound?"
"Don't worry about them," she said. "Walk with me."
She led me across the courtyard to our athletic field. We wandered the field; it felt aimless. The enforcers followed us at a careful distance, and it was making me nervous.
"What's going on, Lara?" I asked . "Whatever you have to tell me: just spit it out."
"There's nothing to tell. I had a few minutes and I wanted to spend them with you."
She was full of shit, but it was clear she'd tell me in her own time. I told her she was full of shit, then bumped her with my hip so she knew I was okay. She squeezed my shoulder with her arm, and we walked around quietly, not talking.
Finally she led me back to the school. But instead of bringing me to my office, we went upstairs, the enforcers flanking us.
I didn't realize where she was leading me until we were standing outside Vivian's office door. I looked up at her. I looked at the enforcers. They were between me and the exits.
"Shitty trick, Lara," I told her.
"I know."
"No one is supposed to know about this," I said.
"No one does," Lara replied.
"Well they do now."
"No. I told them to escort me around for a while, that there was something troubling me, and I couldn't figure it out, and just to give me some time."
"But they're here so I won't run."
"Yes," she confirmed.
"And they know that?"
"No, but if you run, I'll order them to stop you. And then they'll find out."
"Lara, don't make me do this. I don't want to talk to her."
"Then don't. Go in and stare at her for a while, then leave."
I glanced at the enforcers. "Do I have a choice?"
"Please, Michaela," Lara said. "Don't think of it that way. Go in. Talk. Don't talk. Tell her what you had for breakfast. Tell her you're mad at me for tricking you. I don't care. But you need to keep seeing her, and you know it."
"She isn't helping. She's delving into things that are best forgotten."
Lara kissed me on the forehead then pulled me forward and opened the door, gently ushering me inside.
"How long do I have to stay?"
"Half hour," she said.
"Fine," I said. "But you're not getting any tonight."
I pulled out of her arm, stepped into the room, and plopped down in the chair, sulking. The door closed behind me, and I heard the wolves in the hall walk away. I glanced over my shoulder at the door.
"She'll bring you back," Vivian said.
I turned to face her. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."
"I know." She looked at me sadly. "Will you talk to me about your house?"
"My house?"
She nodded. "Yes. I gather you are very proud of it, although you don't ever really say so."
"You don't really want to know about my house," I said.
"Why not?"
I looked into her face. "Will you answer some of my questions for once?"
"You can ask," she said. "I may not have answers for you."
"Are you a good psychiatrist?"
"I believe so," she said.
"And a psychiatrist is a type of medical doctor. You went to med school." She nodded. "You have patients that pay you."
"I
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