told you, Lara would be very unhappy with me."
Scarlett and Angel were just finishing in the kitchen. "Angel, do you have your iPod? May I borrow it during the pack meeting they're having?"
"Sure." She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it over. "You know how to use it?"
"Yes. I'm not that old."
She laughed.
"You two better get outside.
"Is it true?" Angel asked. "It's just us, you can tell us."
"Angel, you are very clever, and I'm sure you understand when I tell you, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh my god, it's true!" She ran around the room, jumping in the air and pumping her fist, and I laughed watching her. She hugged Scarlett then they both hugged me.
"Angel," I said. "If Lara thinks I have confirmed or denied any rumors, it will go very, very badly for me. Now please get out there. I did NOT confirm nor deny whatever it is you are so excited about."
"But you know," she said.
"Know what?" I asked.
"What's going on?"
"What is going on is that I am not invited to pack business, so I am going to go upstairs and relax until someone tells me it's over and I can come back outside. So please go outside looking vexed that I wouldn't tell you anything."
"Yes, Michaela," she said. "See you later."
They headed outside, and I plugged the ear buds in and searched for some palatable music. It was quite the search, then I found her section titled "retro" and was shocked it was music from when I was her age. Retro? I was not retro! Still, it was good music.
I played the music loudly enough that I couldn't hear anything from outside the house. Lara had ordered me not to eavesdrop. She might some day learn how good my hearing was, and I wanted to be able to honestly tell her I hadn't listened in.
I also didn't hear when a four-footed wolf entered the house and climbed the stairs. I had left the door partly ajar but had my eyes closed and was somewhat startled when I felt a cold wolf nose against my neck. I almost startled out of my skin, opening my eyes and leaping away from a grinning Gia in fur.
"You startled me!" I told her. "Am I being summoned?"
She chuffed and turned towards the door.
"Feet or fur?" I asked her.
She didn't answer.
"Gia, please. Feet or fur?"
She turned around, returned to my side, and gently took my hand, pulling me towards the door.
"Feet it is," I told her.
It was somewhat intimidating when I stepped out of the house and saw the assembled wolves, every single one in fur except for Lara. The bonfire was going, and she was standing before it, backlit. I stopped and stared at the assembled wolves, all of them looking at me expectantly. There was a clear path to Lara, and there was a circle of wolves flanking her to either side, Elisabeth to her immediate left, and a gap to her right.
Gia had paused briefly, allowing me a moment to take it all in, then she led the way through the assembled wolves, me following behind her.
I followed Gia right to the edge of the circle, perhaps four paces short of Lara. Gia turned to me for a moment, offered a wolfy smile, and stepped to the side, joining the other wolves. I turned back to face Lara.
"Alpha," I said. "I believe you requested my presence."
"Michaela Redfur, alpha fox of the Bayfield foxes, dearest friend of the Madison wolves, close personal friend to many wolves gathered here today, and rescuer of our young, I greet you."
The wolves howled a greeting. I hadn't been near that many howling wolves, and I was forced to cover my ears.
"All right, settle down," Lara said, grinning at them. "Our little fox is so delicate she seems to be damageable simply from our combined voice." There was chuffing at that.
"Thank you, Lara, alpha of the Madison wolves, my protector, my safety, my lover and best friend ever, I am very pleased to greet you." If she was going to engage in flowery speech, I could at least attempt to match her.
Lara looked around before speaking. "The Madison wolves have known of this little fox for some time,
Scarlett and Angel were just finishing in the kitchen. "Angel, do you have your iPod? May I borrow it during the pack meeting they're having?"
"Sure." She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it over. "You know how to use it?"
"Yes. I'm not that old."
She laughed.
"You two better get outside.
"Is it true?" Angel asked. "It's just us, you can tell us."
"Angel, you are very clever, and I'm sure you understand when I tell you, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh my god, it's true!" She ran around the room, jumping in the air and pumping her fist, and I laughed watching her. She hugged Scarlett then they both hugged me.
"Angel," I said. "If Lara thinks I have confirmed or denied any rumors, it will go very, very badly for me. Now please get out there. I did NOT confirm nor deny whatever it is you are so excited about."
"But you know," she said.
"Know what?" I asked.
"What's going on?"
"What is going on is that I am not invited to pack business, so I am going to go upstairs and relax until someone tells me it's over and I can come back outside. So please go outside looking vexed that I wouldn't tell you anything."
"Yes, Michaela," she said. "See you later."
They headed outside, and I plugged the ear buds in and searched for some palatable music. It was quite the search, then I found her section titled "retro" and was shocked it was music from when I was her age. Retro? I was not retro! Still, it was good music.
I played the music loudly enough that I couldn't hear anything from outside the house. Lara had ordered me not to eavesdrop. She might some day learn how good my hearing was, and I wanted to be able to honestly tell her I hadn't listened in.
I also didn't hear when a four-footed wolf entered the house and climbed the stairs. I had left the door partly ajar but had my eyes closed and was somewhat startled when I felt a cold wolf nose against my neck. I almost startled out of my skin, opening my eyes and leaping away from a grinning Gia in fur.
"You startled me!" I told her. "Am I being summoned?"
She chuffed and turned towards the door.
"Feet or fur?" I asked her.
She didn't answer.
"Gia, please. Feet or fur?"
She turned around, returned to my side, and gently took my hand, pulling me towards the door.
"Feet it is," I told her.
It was somewhat intimidating when I stepped out of the house and saw the assembled wolves, every single one in fur except for Lara. The bonfire was going, and she was standing before it, backlit. I stopped and stared at the assembled wolves, all of them looking at me expectantly. There was a clear path to Lara, and there was a circle of wolves flanking her to either side, Elisabeth to her immediate left, and a gap to her right.
Gia had paused briefly, allowing me a moment to take it all in, then she led the way through the assembled wolves, me following behind her.
I followed Gia right to the edge of the circle, perhaps four paces short of Lara. Gia turned to me for a moment, offered a wolfy smile, and stepped to the side, joining the other wolves. I turned back to face Lara.
"Alpha," I said. "I believe you requested my presence."
"Michaela Redfur, alpha fox of the Bayfield foxes, dearest friend of the Madison wolves, close personal friend to many wolves gathered here today, and rescuer of our young, I greet you."
The wolves howled a greeting. I hadn't been near that many howling wolves, and I was forced to cover my ears.
"All right, settle down," Lara said, grinning at them. "Our little fox is so delicate she seems to be damageable simply from our combined voice." There was chuffing at that.
"Thank you, Lara, alpha of the Madison wolves, my protector, my safety, my lover and best friend ever, I am very pleased to greet you." If she was going to engage in flowery speech, I could at least attempt to match her.
Lara looked around before speaking. "The Madison wolves have known of this little fox for some time,
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