Wolf Watch (The Madison Wolves Book 8) Page 6

  "Wisconsin is a major food exporter now," she agreed, "but it does so at the cost of imported oil from other parts of the world. We use petroleum to power our tractors that grow our food-"

  "Those same tractors are used to raise your soybeans."

  "True, but soybeans require far less petroleum and far less water to sustain me than your hamburger requires to sustain you. My choices aren't perfect, but they are better than yours."

  "Oh? And when I eat fish from the lake or venison hunted on the property?"

  "Those choices are both better than eating a hunk of beef," she replied. "Although they are not sustainable for the global population."

  "That's another overpopulation problem," I said.

  We went back and forth for a while. Then I picked up a piece of the spicy tuna roll, holding it in front of me. "Does it bother you to watch me pop this into my mouth?"

  "Would I prefer that you joined me in a vegan lifestyle?" she asked. "Yes, I would. But I wouldn't go so far as to say it bothers me. What bothers me is the level of ignorance people have about the food they eat. I seek to educate, not dictate."

  I nodded and popped the tuna into my mouth.

  The reality was that while perhaps humans could live on a vegan lifestyle, I could not. Even hunting was a necessity for a werewolf's mental well-being. A vegan wolf would go mad if he didn't die from malnutrition first. But I wasn't going to argue that position with her. I wasn't quite ready to come out to her, after all.

  We finished our respective meals and packed everything up. Zoe smiled then lay down on her back, staring up at the sky. "That was very thoughtful, Elisabeth. Thank you."

  "You're welcome." I plopped down next to her, then slowly reached out a hand to clasp hers. We hadn't touched for the last forty-five minutes, but I wanted to see if she was feeling calmer.

  I could still smell the fear wafting off of her, and I wouldn't want to be amorous with her unless I could erase or cover the scent with something else. I have known of werewolves who find the fear scent intoxicating, but I have never been one of those. It makes me deeply protective but not at all amorous.

  "I'm sorry about earlier," she said. "You don't need to worry that I'm going to freak out again."

  "It's all right," I said. "It is the night of the full moon, and I did admit I've been known to howl under it. Perhaps you're worried I'm going to sprout fangs and become some sort of slavering beast."

  "Are you?"

  I laughed. "No."

  "Then I'm safe, as you've repeatedly said."

  "Ready for some exercise?"

  "Are you a really bad throw with a Frisbee, and you're going to make me run all over for it?"

  "I am a very good throw with a Frisbee, or of anything else I choose to throw, and if you find yourself running all over for it, I assure you it is entirely intentional. I will, of course, be watching you the entire time."

  She laughed. "Well, I am a horrible throw, and if you find yourself running all over, it's your own fault for bringing a Frisbee instead of a deck of cards."

  I climbed to my feet, pulling her up after me. I grabbed the Frisbee then walked a short distance away and tossed it to her.

  She dropped it.

  We threw the disk around for a half hour. It was, well, painful. Finally I said, "You know, you're not just bad. You're downright dreadful."

  "Oh, way to boost my ego," she replied. "I did warn you."

  "You must have the hand-eye coordination of a... um..."

  "Of a what?"

  "I can't think of anything with particularly poor coordination," I admitted with a laugh.

  "Perhaps a one-eyed hippopotamus," she suggested.

  "Yes, exactly. If hippos had hands and a means of demonstrating their lack of coordination."

  "That's me," Zoe said. "The one-eyed hippo." She cocked her head. "It's not a very flattering image."

  "You have other skills than Frisbee," I pointed out. I moved closer to her, tossing the Frisbee lightly. She managed to catch it, barely. I had to lunge for her return throw.

  Dusk was settling, and the full moon was peeking over the treetops to the east. Zoe had stopped exuding fear scent some time ago, but it lingered about her, now mixed with other scents brought on by physical activity. They were deep, wholesome scents. I threw the Frisbee to the blanket then eyed Zoe.

  "Oh, oh," she said. "What does that look mean?"

  I didn't answer but began stalking her. She backed away from me slowly.

  "Are you ticklish?" I asked her.

  "Wouldn't you like to know?" She edged sideways, putting the blanket between us.

  "I believe I am about to find out," I replied. I dashed counter-clockwise around the blanket, and, shrieking, she ran around to the other side. We came to another stop, separated by six feet of blanket with the cooler still on one edge.

  "I do not believe you should start a tickle fight," Zoe declared.

  "Why not?"

  "Because I would be at a distinct disadvantage. And therefore, only I am allowed to instigate tickle fights."

  I began edging around the blanket to the other side. "I am not sure I agree to this rule."

  Zoe held her ground for a moment, but then I lunged for her, slowly, and she skipped away.

  "Tell me, Elisabeth," she said.

  "Yes?"

  "Do you believe that 'no' means 'no'?"

  "Of course."

  "Then if you don't want to hear these lips --" and she gestured to her mouth "--utter the word 'no' in a very forceful fashion, you'll agree to any stipulations I require."

  I made another dash around the blanket. Zoe tried to run, but I easily caught her about the waist then pulled her onto the blanket and laid her down on her back, partially covering her with a leg.

  She was shrieking and giggling while trying to squirm away, but I held her in place.

  "If I am not allowed to instigate tickle fights," I asked, "just what am I allowed to instigate?"

  She turned her face towards me. "I will allow you to instigate kissing."

  I took my time. I climbed on top of her a little more fully, pinning her to the blanket. Her face was flushed, and she'd been sweating a little bit. I didn't mind that. I brushed a few errant hairs from her face.

  She stilled her attempts to escape; they weren't doing her any good, anyway. We stared intently into each other's eyes, hers flicking back and forth between mine.

  "Promise to be gentle," she whispered.

  "I will be very..." and I leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Very..." I kissed the other corner. "Gentle."

  Her eyes were closed by the time our mouths fully met. She parted her lips immediately, and I accepted her invitation.

  She tasted good. Underneath me, she felt good, too.

  I had human friends, although not many. Michele Lassiter and Nick Tate, Scarlett's father, came to mind. And I frequently dealt with humans. But I'd never kissed a human woman before, and I'd never found human males attractive. Frankly, if I wanted a male, even Rory, as immature as he could be at times, was closer to my type than any human male I'd ever met.

  But Zoe tasted good. She felt good. Her lips were soft and her body welcoming. She wrapped her arms around my back, her hands splayed against my shoulder blades, holding me to her.

  And so we kissed. We kissed deeply, our tongue teasing each other. I supported most of my weight on one leg, stretched along her body, and one elbow, while pressing her body to the ground with a portion of mine. Underneath me, she squirmed and moaned, and her hands curled into claws against my back before pressing against me again.

  Finally I broke the kiss. Her eyes opened, and we stared into each other from inches apart.

  Her lips were moist from our activity. I stared at her mouth for a moment then lifted my eyes back to hers.

  "Wasn't that better than a tickle fight?" she asked.

  I rolled off of her, bringing her with me so she was lying partially atop me. I bent one arm to provide myself a pil
low, and Zoe laid her head against my chest.

  "The moon is rising," I said.

  "Does that have significance for you?" she asked. "The full moon?"

  "Beyond making for a lovely evening?" I clarified. "We're a very outdoorsy family. At home, Lara and Michaela are probably out for a run right about now. The moonlit forest is beautiful, after all." I smiled.

  Her hands began roaming across my body, finally slipping under my shirt. She laid her hand flat on my stomach.

  "I can feel your muscles. Are you flexing for me?"

  "Not particularly," I said with a smirk. "Did you want me to?"

  She didn't answer. Instead, she withdrew her hand but she began exploring my body -- not even the intimate places. She set her hand on my arm.

  "Flex," she ordered.

  I chuckled but did.

  "Oh my god!" she said. "You're like a rock. Do you know what I want to do?"

  "I have a few ideas."

  "Do your ideas involve you posing for my camera?"

  I laughed. "I'm no body builder, Zoe. I'm just blessed with genetics."

  "Is it genetics?" she asked. "Is Lara built like this, too?"

  "Yes."

  Just then, there was a buzz, and a moment later, Zoe slapped herself. "See? I kill mosquitoes."

  "We should go," I replied. "But you asked about howling at the moon."

  "Is that why we're out here?"

  "Partly. And I thought a picnic would be lovely. Go ahead. You first."

  "Me? You're the one who admits she howls."

  "Ah, but it was your idea."

  She looked at me for a moment then sat up. She lifted her nose to the sky and offered a wolf howl. For a human voice, it wasn't that bad, and better than Michaela would have done.

  Then she lowered her nose and turned to me. "Your turn."

  I sat up next to her and lifted my own nose. It pained me, but I intentionally offered a human version of a howl, cringing inwardly as I did so. If the pack heard me, I'd never hear the end of it.

  "Oh please," she said when I was done. "You can do better than that."

  I nudged her with a shoulder. "We have land near Bayfield. When we're up there, sometimes we sing to the wolves. Sometimes they answer."

  She shook her head.

  "What?"

  "Everything about you is the opposite from me. You're so close to your family, and it sounds like there are a lot of you."

  "It's a clan, not just a family," I explained. "We're pretty tightly knit."

  "Kissing cousins?" she asked. "Are Angel and Scarlett second cousins twice removed or something?"

  I laughed. "No. They may share a little blood, but if so, it's pretty distant and would only be on Scarlett's mother's side. Scarlett's father, Nick, is new to our clan. Well, he was new when they married, anyway."

  "Like Michaela?"

  "Michaela is even more distant. You may have noticed the utter lack of similarity."

  Zoe laughed. "Yeah, in a one of these doesn't belong sort of way."

  "Michaela took our clan by storm," I said. "She's had her detractors, but she is nearly universally loved."

  "She seemed very intense."

  I nodded. "Okay, let's hear another howl, then it's time to escape the mosquitoes."

  Together, we lifted our noses and added our feeble voices to the night sky. And I tried very hard not to cringe.

  Shower

  We held hands during the car ride back to her apartment, sitting quietly most of the time. When we arrived, I grabbed her keys before she could pick them up.

  "Inviting yourself in?"

  I grinned. "Yep."

  "Good."

  Outside, I took her hand again. We arrived at the front door, and I avoided sneering, barely. The building was in violation of local and state ordinances regarding, well, almost everything. No, we wouldn't have any trouble getting Zoe out of her lease. We wouldn't have any trouble at all.

  There was a lock on the front exterior door. It was broken and looked like it had been for some time. It was a cheap door, besides, and I was hopelessly unimpressed. We stepped right in, and a minute later, I was unlocking her apartment door.

  Zoe was surprised when I didn't hold the door for her. Instead, I stepped into her apartment and quickly searched the place, including the bathroom and the closets. When I turned to her, she offered a puzzled expression.

  "Professional habit," I said. "Anyone could have been here while we were gone."

  She closed the apartment door and flipped the deadbolt. I moved to her, setting her keys down, and then took her hands in mine. She smiled at me, a little shyly.

  "You're home, safe and sound, Zoe," I said.

  "So I am," she replied. "Are you staying a while?"

  I nodded slowly then, walking backwards, I began drawing her further into her apartment. I turned towards the bathroom and backed into it, stepping all the way to the shower with Zoe following me, her puzzled expression renewed.

  "What are you doing?"

  I released one hand but maintained possession of the other then reached in and turned on the water to the shower. I let it run but pulled her to me. I began caressing her face with my now wet hand.

  "What are you doing?"

  I tipped her head back and lowered mine, kissing her deeply. Her hands clutched at my arms, hanging on tightly, and it took a moment before she moaned lightly.

  While still kissing her, I backed her against the wall, sliding a leg between hers to trap her there. Then I slipped my hands down her sides and under her shirt. I began lifting, then broke the kiss as I pulled her shirt from her.

  "Oh, you think so, do you?" she asked. She squirmed lightly, but it didn't even register as an attempt to escape, and she lifted her arms above her head so I could remove the shirt.

  Her bra quickly followed it.

  I pressed my body against hers, still pinning her to the wall, and lifted a hand to her small breast. I cupped it and thumbed the nipple. Zoe gasped, and her eyes were lidded.

  "Yes or no?" I whispered.

  "Yes," she said.

  I captured her mouth again, then my hands were at the button of her jeans. She squirmed as I lowered them from her hips, and she kicked her shoes off. I knelt down to drop the jeans down her legs, dragging her undies with them, and she cooperated as I slipped them off her ankles.

  My mouth was at just the right height, and I took a breast into my mouth. She gasped and clutched her fingers in my hair. I used my tongue, lips and teeth to tease her nipple and was rewarded as it engorged and grew stiff. She moaned and squirmed against the wall, and her fingers clutched and released in my hair.

  I used my fingers to tease the other nipple at the same time.

  She tasted a complicated mix of flavors: leftover fear from earlier, sweat, arousal, and her own natural flavor. I didn't care for the remains of her fear, which is what the shower was for.

  Then I released her breast and stood up. She opened her eyes. "Your turn."

  I let her undress me. She caressed my skin as she did so, running her hands over my body and expressing appreciation. "I've never been with someone with a body like this."

  "What's your normal type?"

  "Gangly environmentalists," she replied. "I get a few volunteers who join GreEN just for a shot at me."

  I smiled. "And do they get you?"

  "If I like them, they do for a while, but they tend to grow bored and move on. Tell me, Elisabeth; are you here because you want a shot at the environmental activist? Are you going to grow bored and move on?"

  "I'm here because you're a mystery, and I love a good mystery," I said. "I intend to read you, page by delightful page."

  And a moment later, I spun her around and began backing her towards the shower.

  "Oh, you think so, do you?" She tried to resist, lightly at first, then more forcefully.

  "You might want to check the water," I said. "I wouldn't want to scald you."

  "You couldn't scald me if it was on fu
ll hot," she replied. But she turned around and tested the water, then made adjustments. I let her finish, then when she turned back to me, I slipped my hands around her and picked her up, stepping into the shower.

  She shrieked in surprise, but then we were both under the water. I pulled the curtain closed and captured her mouth again.

  Her shrieks turned into moans, especially when my hand found her breast again.

  When finally I released her mouth, she whispered, "You're very naughty."

  "I know," I replied. I found the soap and began bathing her.

  I was thorough, running my hands up and down her body, washing nearly everywhere. I saved the best for last.

  "You are such a tease," she accused.

  "Did you want me to stop?"

  "No." She eyed me up and down. "My god, you're sensational."

  I couldn't help but smile. She said it so earnestly, and those weren't words I heard very often. I'd heard Michaela treating Lara that way, and I'd been jealous.

  Hey, I couldn't help it. I have my vanity and my own desires, even if I keep them in check most of the time. It felt really good to be on the receiving end of the sort of attention Michaela had been giving Lara.

  I found the shampoo and slowly washed her hair, then let my soapy hands explore her body, especially teasing her breasts. Then, slowly, I moved down her body, finally sliding soapy hands between her legs.

  My fingers found the prize.

  Gasping, She spread her legs a little further. I cupped her, washing and teasing her at the same time.

  Her head was still full of shampoo, and her eyes were clamped shut. She was panting through her mouth, so she couldn't see my self-satisfied smile as I parted her lower lips and allowed two fingers to slowly enter her.

  "Oh my god," she said. She squirmed against my hand, and I slid in further, curling my fingers.

  Then I began moving slowly, using the base of my hand to tease and torment her clitoris while pressing my fingers deep inside of her.

  "Oh yes," she whispered. "Yes."

  I took my time, getting her fully worked up, but then slowly I withdrew.

  "No! What are you doing?"

  I chuckled and moved her directly under the showerhead, then carefully, thoroughly rinsed all the soap from her head and body. She opened her eyes. "Tell me you're not done."