Fox Fate Read online

  Fox Fate

  Robin Roseau

  Table of Contents

  Wedges

  Running

  School

  Phone Calls

  Invitations

  Flight

  Bourbon Street

  All Hallows' Eve

  Meeting

  Part Two

  Dispute

  Easier

  Panther

  Dinner

  Deirdre

  Home

  Discontent

  Perspective

  Running

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Wedges

  In life, events happen. That is the nature of life. Good things happen; bad things happen. Some of those intimately involve the people in your life making choices.

  Those choices can insert wedges, divides, between two people. Or the effects can smooth over, reduce or even remove those wedges.

  When I first met the wolves of Lara's pack, I didn't have experience with this. My life had been one long history of wedge after wedge, and the gap between the wolves and me was akin to the Grand Canyon. I knew something about living in polite society, and thus I was able to interact with humans. But I didn't really understand about long-term relationships with a group of people. I certainly didn't understand about wedges working their way between people.

  But I've certainly experienced it since.

  There are wedges between Lara and me. More or less, we've worked through them, but some of the bigger ones have been smoothed over far more than removed. From time to time, something happens to work them around, driving them deeper, driving the gap wider.

  Elisabeth and I have wedges as well. Some of them are the same wedges I have with Lara. The very first night I met Elisabeth, I tricked her and managed to wrap my fox teeth over her neck. She has told me she found it funny and doesn't hold a grudge, but when she gets ultra-competitive with me, I wonder if she is remembering that first night.

  She gained a great deal of credit with me a few weeks later when I showed up in the wolf compound to report three wolf pups were being kidnapped. The other wolves thought I was there as a spy, but Elisabeth trusted me, and she helped me stay alive long enough for Lara to arrive. I thanked her then, and I'll always remember that she trusted me when absolutely no one else did.

  But we still have wedges. I will always remember that she and Lara stuffed me into a cage. There were extenuating circumstances, and if I'd known them, I probably wouldn't have been upset. And when I did learn of them, I forgave her. But I think in the back of my mind, I will always wonder when it will happen again.

  I do not like cages.

  I remember being confined to the house. I remember a bad night in Ashland. I remember being locked in the cell in the basement of the barracks. I remember being set up to stand trial for capital crimes. I remember being ganged up on for pack play nights and being tricked or cheated in various wagers and games.

  I remember that she is a part of the reason I never have any privacy, and that it is now official pack policy that I am not allowed to go anywhere alone. Elisabeth and Lara could have put a stop to that, but instead they both openly supported it. Other than when I sneak away, I haven't driven my car in two years, and I don't know why I still have it.

  I remember that one of my capital crimes was ditching my security. Neither Lara nor Elisabeth wanted me sentenced to death for that, but it is a pack crime for me to ditch my security. It is a pack crime for me to take a drive or run alone. If I want to take a walk across the compound, I have to wait for my security detail to arrive.

  I remember my bridal ransom night. I remember Elisabeth taking my house from me.

  I remember Elisabeth telling me, not quite in so many words, I wasn't good enough for her sister.

  I'm not a proper mate for the alpha, after all, and everyone knows it.

  I love my sister-in-law. Truly I do. I enjoy her company and value her in my life. Most of the time, all of these wedges are smoothed over and invisible.

  But from time to time, they all shake around, causing cracks.

  And they were about to get a little worse.

  Running

  I love my fox. I love being fox. I don't have the words to tell you how glorious it felt in fur, running through the woods with my dearest friends around me. I felt so free, so... I'm sorry; I just don't have the words.

  It was early September. Angel had graduated from college in the spring. She had taken my advice to talk to Scarlett, and the look of disappointment when Angel suggested she would graduate early had changed Angel's mind. So she asked Lara and Elisabeth for some advice then took a few introductory business classes, just to whet her appetite for when we finally went to business school together.

  Scarlett had one more year to complete her architecture degree. She was already working for Kevin Cassidy, the owner of the only architecture firm in the pack. I'd finally met him over dinner last summer, and he'd spent much of the meal singing Scarlett's praises. She'd been embarrassed by the attention, but she'd preened under it, too, and Angel puffed out her chest in pride for her mate. I didn't blame her at all. I was proud of Scarlett, too.

  Over my six years with the pack, life has been exciting. It had been nearly a year and a half since our adventures in North Carolina. Elisabeth was caught on camera. That could have been an utter disaster. As is, I wasn't done meddling. Zoe would be fitting in with the rest of us if I had any say in the matter.

  Anyway, as I said, it was September, and I was in fur, surrounded by everyone I loved. Rebecca and Celeste were still pups, of course, nearly four years old and in fur, they each weighed more than I did. They didn't have my stamina, but they could already run as fast as I could. My babies weren't even four years old, and they ran as fast as I did.

  At the moment, we were running north, Rebecca immediately to my right, Celeste just past her, and Lara on the far side, watching over her entire family. Francesca, Scarlett and Elisabeth were with us, and so were several members of my security detail: Serena, Angel and Portia. Ranging further afield were other wolves including the pups' security team, lead by Emanuel, Serena's mate. We were just running; I hadn't offered any games. I had just asked for a run before dinner.

  And so, I was in fur, surrounded by all those I loved. I felt so free, with the breeze in my face, my nose filled with the smells of the forest, family, and pack. At this exact moment, I hadn't a care in the world.

  In the back of my mind, I recognized the irony. I was surrounded by werewolves, a werefox's mortal enemies. But these wolves weren't my enemies. They all loved me, and I loved each of them.

  My heart burst with joy at the thought.

  It was just a run, and we weren't even playing any games. We were simply running at my best speed, an easy, easy lope for the wolves. But they were jogging along with me, happy for the moment to hold themselves to a fox pace. Eventually I knew someone would ask for a game, and then everyone would turn to me, expecting me to provide one. Staying ahead of them in keeping our games fresh kept me awake some nights.

  But I didn't mind at all.

  Six miles into our run, right near the northern edge of our territory, eventually arrived. There was a car on the road marking our northern limits, and I huffed loudly, pulling the entire group to a stop. I was panting heavily, as were the pups, but the other wolves were calm and relaxed. But I had a huff that meant "car", and so no one had to ask why we stopped.

  I expected the pups to collapse into the drying leaves and moss of the forest floor, but instead, Celeste bumped her sister, and Rebecca flowed into human, crouching down on the ground. And so before me was a human girl of not quite four years old, her hair a little wild, but her eyes bright and full of life.

  "Mommy Fox," s
he said. "May we catch a rabbit?"

  Beside her sister, Celeste flowed into her own human shape and said without pause, "Two rabbits!"

  My heart burst with another emotion: pride. My babies were a full year, perhaps even two years ahead of expected werewolf development. At finding prey, they weren't necessarily any better than other wolves their age, but if I found the rabbits for them, they had grown quite adept at catching them. Their first solo kills had been clumsy, but they had learned quickly, and now they gave their prey clean, quick kills.

  Maybe that seems like a gruesome thought, but we were what we were: hunters. Unlike humans, we physically couldn't survive on a vegetarian diet, and wolves that were unable to hunt literally went insane. Their genetic makeup required them to hunt. As a fox, I wasn't quite as driven, but I wasn't that far behind them, either. I loved to hunt.

  Of course, I'd never gone long enough without hunting to know what the long-term psychological effects might be if I were to quit. A girl had to eat, after all. I was sure I wasn't the only pack member who had spent years living solely off what she hunted, but I was the only one I knew of.

  I shifted to human. "Lara, you haven't hunted wolf style in months. Did you want to take everyone to find a deer while the pups and I find some rabbits?"

  She huffed at the suggestion but shifted human herself.

  "Lara..."

  "No," she said. "Michaela, I adore hunting fox style." My style of hunting was much different than wolf style. She looked around and set her eyes on Francesca. "Could we use fresh venison?"

  Francesca offered a wolfy smile and chuffed. Of course we could. There were thirty wolves living in the compound, and a fresh deer wouldn't last long. Pack shares.

  I used to worry about depleting the game. The pack owned a huge amount of land; they'd been buying it for years and years. But the pack also owned three deer ranches, and several years ago they'd added rabbits to the animals raised, and we released fresh animals at a sufficient rate to ensure there was always game.

  Lara turned to the girls. "You will stay with Mommy Fox."

  "I want to catch my own rabbit!" Celeste said immediately.

  "You will," Lara said. "When Mommy Fox tells you. But otherwise, you will stay with Mommy Fox. You are both far too young to help with the deer." Lara stared at them, and they both plopped onto the backs, exposing their throats.

  "Yes, Mommy Wolf," they each said in turn. Lara accepted their throats, just a token, then gave them each a quick lick. They would behave.

  Lara looked around, settling her eyes on Scarlett for a moment, then looking at Elisabeth. "Sister?"

  Elisabeth stepped closer, shifting to human herself. We were getting a real party going there in our birthday suits.

  "Head Enforcer," Lara said very quietly to Elisabeth. "Will you allow Angel and Scarlett to lead the deer hunt?"

  Angel was on duty. Lara could have ordered, but Elisabeth was the head enforcer, and Lara was careful about the chain of command. I understood why she was asking. We were trying to give Angel leadership opportunities when we could, and leading a deer hunt was a good opportunity.

  But we were enforcer rich on this run, and we were on pack lands beside.

  Elisabeth was also careful about chain of command, and technically, Angel worked for Serena. She looked over her shoulder and said, "Serena, join us."

  Serena stayed in fur but stepped around me, putting her head between Elisabeth and Lara's. Elisabeth repeated Lara's request. Serena offered a small huff, a wolf sigh rather than disagreement. She used to complain that I was bad about distracting Angel while she was on duty, and so she had helped me break a bad habit. But now it was Lara and Elisabeth who wanted to do it.

  "It's a training opportunity," Elisabeth explained. Serena knew that.

  I moved closer. "I want an enforcer each on the pups." I didn't add, "in case they misbehave anyway." Everyone would have known what I meant. "Plus one more in case the deer comes our way anyway." I would be absolutely worthless against a deer. "Unless you want to hunt wolf style instead." If we hunted wolf style, then the pups and I wouldn't be anywhere near the kill, but if we hunted fox style, I'd lead them practically on top of the deer.

  Serena huffed again, but it wasn't displeasure with any of the suggestions, only at the complexity. She gave a wolf yip that I knew was meant for her mate. Emanuel was two hundred yards off our left flank, but it took only an instant before I heard him approaching, moving quickly but not loudly. The wolves wouldn't hear him, but I easily kept track of everything around us. We waited for him to arrive.

  Serena shifted to human, bringing Emanuel up to speed. "I'll take the point position," she said. "Emanuel and Portia on the pups." Portia didn't have much patience with them, but if her pup took one step out of line, she'd handle it with competence.

  "Rabbits first," Lara said, looking at me. I nodded, agreeing with her. "We can assign the roles for the deer hunt after that."

  I turned to the girls. "Ready to be quiet?"

  "Yes, Mommy Fox!" Rebecca said, then immediately flowed back into her fur, taking a very unwolf-like, but very fox-like posture.

  My heart again burst with pride, and I saw Lara's fur swell while looking at her daughter. Celeste flowed into fur as well and immediately emulated her sister. Celeste was bigger than Rebecca, but Rebecca was consistently the leader of the two of them.

  I looked around at the wolves. "If you can't be quiet, hang back." I looked at Lara and then the pups. "Three paces behind me." I wanted to find the rabbits as efficiently as I could, and if everyone clustered around me, it was that much harder.

  I didn't wait for a response from anyone but instead flowed into my fur. I turned to the southwest, away from the road that defined our northern border and deeper into our territory. Behind me, the wolves went furry, and I heard them take up position off my flanks, the pups moving to either side of me, the other wolves outside of them. I knew they were managed, and so I swiveled my ears forward, already searching for rabbits.

  I had expected the enhancements from taking Carissa's blood to fade. They hadn't. My nose still confused me; I hadn't grown up using my nose to judge emotions, and I was still very poor at it. But where I could previously hear a mouse at a hundred yards in only the right circumstances, my range was now much further.

  It took me four minutes to isolate three separate groups of rabbits. I came to a stop, listening to each group. Behind me, the wolves, excepting the pups, all sat down. I knew if I looked behind me, Celeste and Rebecca would be emulating me, but they wouldn't be able to hear what I could. That didn't stop them from trying.

  I didn't think they understood why I could always find rabbits. I just always knew where they were. I was willing to maintain the mystery for as long as I could.

  The decision for me at this point was simple. I had a choice of a small group of rabbits or two rabbits nosing around separately. The girls preferred the group, each of them chasing a separate rabbit or, as occasionally happened, the same rabbit. But it was cleaner if we did one, then another. I turned slightly to the right, heading for the northernmost of the single rabbits.

  At a hundred yards, I stopped us again. I made a point of sniffing. My nose was better than it used to be, but it wasn't up to a wolf nose. I couldn't smell the rabbits, but we were downwind, and maybe the wolves could. I looked over my shoulder. Lara sniffed a few times but then huffed very quietly.

  By now, the wolves knew how I preferred to hunt. If I had my choice, most of them would fall back at this point, leaving me with my daughters plus two more adults to help with the hunt, in case the girls' missed their kills. I knew I wouldn't get that choice. But half the group sank down to the ground leaving me with Serena, Lara and Portia. I also knew Elisabeth would follow us, perhaps off our flank, but she wouldn't crowd me.

  I turned back to the rabbits and began stalking them slowly, picking my path carefully. Rebecca and Celeste moved closer, one on either side of me, and only a half fox step behind my own
nose.

  At fifty yards, I stopped again. Lara was looking out for Rebecca on my right, so I turned to that side and drew a line in the dirt. Rebecca immediately huffed, but I knew she'd behave. I took three steps, and my ears told me Rebecca stayed where I told her to. On my other side, Celeste and Serena kept up.

  I led us around a patch of leaves; I could move silently through them, but neither Celeste nor Serena could. At twenty yards, I came to a stop and sniffed. I could smell the rabbits, so I knew the two wolves could. Celeste was quivering with excitement. I yawned at her, hoping she'd calm down, but knowing she wouldn't.

  My baby loved to hunt.

  We were hunkered down, Serena nearly on her belly to hide from the rabbit. It had to kill her to hunt fox style, but never, not once had anyone ever complained about my hunting methods.

  It was one of the many reasons I loved them.

  I was impressed with Celeste. Her muscles were coiled, and she was quivering, but she hadn't released. I had taken her as close as required. She couldn't see the rabbit, but she could smell it, and she was pointed directly at it. I listened once more, then glanced over at Celeste. She was watching forward intently, and beyond her, Serena was watching over both of us. I chuffed, very, very quietly. Celeste's nearest ear twitched, and then she exploded forward.

  The rabbit broke cover. Sometimes they freeze; sometimes they run. I could have gotten my pup a little closer, perhaps as few as five yards from the rabbit, but she needed to learn to hunt. I didn't want to hand her the kill. And so Celeste had a chase on her hands.

  We'd found the rabbit fox style, but it became a wolf hunt at this point.

  Serena flowed after them, then leapt forward, cutting off the rabbit's escape and scaring it back towards Celeste. My baby leapt, missing, but then she leapt again, and I heard the crunch of rabbit neck as she got a clean kill.

  I moved forward, finding Serena watching over my baby. Celeste had the rabbit in her mouth, holding its limp body by the neck. Even a few months ago, she would have worried at it, and another wolf pup her age wouldn't show the control she was showing. I was so proud of her.