Wolf Women (The Madison Wolves Book 10) (11 page)

She began to smile. "Someone is remembering."

"I can't believe you can smell that," I whispered.

She opened her eyes and rolled her head. We stared into each other's eyes from inches away.

"You made promises to me last night," she said.

"I know. Portia-"

She lifted fingers to my lips.

"I want you to be yourself, Zoe," she said. "You are a strong, dynamic woman who speaks her mind. We are partners in what we do."

She pulled her fingers from my lips, brushing them as she did so.

I glanced down at my bound wrists, then looked back up at her. I didn't know what to say.

She caressed my cheek. "You're worried." I nodded. "Let me ask you some questions. When I call and tell you I want you to dress a certain way, is it going to bother you?"

I thought about it. I didn't have an answer.

She frowned. "You wouldn't obey such a small thing, knowing how much pleasure it would bring me?"

When she put it that way, it was easier. "I would," I said. "It's just... this is a lot to absorb."

"You're afraid I'll treat you like a puppet."

"Yes."

"Take you for granted."

"Yes."

"Hurt you."

I thought about it. "I don't know. You turned a little wild around your eyes last night."

"Are you afraid because I turned a little wild, or because you fear it was because I wanted to hurt you?"

"I don't think you wanted to hurt me, but maybe you wanted to play rougher."

"No, I don't want to play rougher. Taking you that way was as intoxicating for me as it was for you, Zoe. My own reaction surprised me. That's all."

I thought about it. "If I tell you that you are being too rough, you will stop."

"Always," she said. "Promise."

"You will never, ever hit me."

Her eyes grew wide. "Never."

"You will never intentionally hurt me."

"Never," she agreed.

I smiled. "Then you may do to me what you want, on one more condition."

"Oh?"

"I don't need to do to you the things you did to me last night," I said, "but I need to know I am free to make love to you, that it won't always be you making love to me."

"Oh darling," she said. "Of course."

"Then you may do to me what you want," I said. I smiled, wondering what I'd just agreed to. I was fairly sure I would enjoy it a great deal. Over time, I would learn I was right.

I glanced down at my bound wrists.

"Did you want me to untie you?" Portia asked.

I looked up at her and smiled. "Not quite yet. I want you to make me taste you."

So she did.

Ember arrived first. Portia let her in while I remained in the kitchen. But I got a warm hug from the girl.

"That smells really good," she said. "What is it?"

"It's just pasta with a pesto sauce, although different from yesterday's," I said. "And I'm making garlic cheese bread to go with it. It's vegan cheese. I like it. I hope you do, too."

"And don't worry," Portia said, "I am making some meat to go with the pasta, but I have to wait until Zoe takes as much of the sauce that she wants."

Ember leaned over the pan of sauce I was making. "It smells good this way," she said. "And I like spaghetti."

"Your body needs the protein though," Portia said. "Zoe tells me she can get me protein from other sources, but my body doesn't recognize what she tries to feed me as food."

"I suppose it's like candy," Ember said. "Just because it tastes good doesn't mean it has everything we need."

"Right," Portia said.

"I-" I paused. "I should learn to cook what you need."

"No," Portia said. "You should not. I am not biologically able to agree with your moral choices, but I absolutely would never wish you to compromise them."

"But-"

"No."

She stared into my eyes until I dropped my gaze.

"Zoe," she said, "I am happy we don't fight over our food choices. You share your choices, and I enjoy some of them. And when someone teases you about it, you take it good-naturedly.  But you do not try to force your beliefs on me, and while I suspect sometimes it bothers you, you don't show it."

"I wouldn't want to watch you hunt or kill something, and I don't want to see you bring it home." I still had my eyes down. "If you are ever bloody from a hunt, I hope you will wash off so I don't have to see it."

"I will," she said gently. She moved to me and lifted my chin, then kissed me.

When she released me, I could tell Ember had been watching, but she didn't say anything. She carried a small smile though.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't say anything," she said.

"Uh, huh," I said. "You were thinking awfully loudly."

"Then you shouldn't have to ask what I was thinking," she replied. "If I was so loud."

"Portia, are all teenage wolves such smart asses?"

"Ember is exceedingly well-behaved," Portia said in defense.

"I didn't say she was ill-behaved. I suggested she's a smart ass while being well-behaved."

Portia snorted, but Ember only looked pleased, then her frown faded. "I can't tell if you're really upset or teasing me."

"Oh honey," I said. "I'm teasing."

"That's okay, then." She grinned. "I'm not afraid. You're outnumbered around here."

"Tell me about it," I muttered.

We talked and teased each other for several minutes while I continued to stir my sauce, making little adjustments. I asked them both to try it, then added a little more rosemary.

The bell rang, and a minute later, Portia returned with Monique and Cassie. They both looked very nice, and I saw they were holding hands. I got hugs from both.

"Is that what we're having?" Monique asked. "It smells good, but I'm really hungry."

"Don't worry," Portia said. "I have it covered."

"And there are things to snack on during the movie, but if you want real butter on your popcorn, you're going to have to melt it yourselves."

They helped with the garlic bread, all of them assuring me they loved garlic cheese bread. I started with making three slices, cut them in half, then passed them out.

"Is this all? Aren't you making the rest?"

"I am, but I want you to try them first."

So they each took one and declared them perfect.

I smiled and made the rest, popping them in the oven. While it was cooking, I separated out my portion of the sauce -- I had made plenty, and more than enough pasta, or so I hoped, and then I turned the kitchen over to Portia.

She pulled a package from the refrigerator, and I saw it was some sort of ground meat. "What is that?"

"Venison," Monique said.

"How can you tell?"

"Smell. It's mixed with pork."

"You can tell that from the smell?"

"Sure," she replied.

I wondered if they could tell I had used vegan cheese on the cheese bread.

Ten minutes later, we were eating.

"This is really good, Zoe," Cassie said.

"What are we watching tonight?" Monique asked.

"That will be a group decision," I said. "We have to pick a category we like." I got up and retrieved the paper I had along with five pencils. I passed them out and sat down.

I'd come up with all the categories of movies I could think of, organizing them in groups. "What's the difference between a romance and a romantic comedy?"

"I suppose a romantic comedy is really a movie in both categories of romance and comedy. A romance doesn't need to be funny."

I let them read through the list and ask a few more questions. "So, we have to figure out which categories we don't like. If there's a category you hate, you may veto it. There are categories I don't tend to watch, but I wouldn't necessarily veto. I don't think movie night means a documentary, unless it's a really good one, and I don't know how I feel about horror movies."

"Wolves tend to heckle horror movies," Portia said. "It's hard to take them seriously."

"I have enough nightmares," I said. "I don't really want more. I could watch something like
An American Werewolf in London
, but
The Shining
is right out."

"The what?" Ember asked.

Between the five of us, we ruled out about half of the genres. I largely kept quiet; I wanted to see how the wolves worked this out. I had expected them to head straight to the action or adventure categories, but they didn't.

Ember admitted a fondness for both fantasy and science fiction movies.

"Are we watching one movie or two?" Monique asked.

"Unless it's really long, I was thinking about two," I replied.

"Maybe we should watch an action movie and a romantic comedy movie."

"I'd rather go to bed with an easy movie second," I said, "but it can be really hard to go from a serious action film to a comedy."

"We can go for a little run in between," Monique said. "On two feet. It will clear the air, and you know how you laugh when we run you around."

"All right," I said. Everyone else thought Monique's idea was great.

We finished dinner, and then the girls told us they'd clean the kitchen. "But we haven't picked a movie yet."

"I'll get my laptop and we can talk it over."

* * * *

Ten minutes later, we all trundled into the living room. "We need to rearrange this room so everyone has a good seat," I said.

The kids didn't need to be told any more than that. They moved the coffee table out of the way then set the sofa so it was the perfect distance from the television. The two easy chairs were next.

I expected them to hog the sofa, but Portia pulled me there, and I curled up against her. Then the kids eschewed the easy chairs. Monique and Cassie plopped down on the floor immediately in front of Portia and me, leaning against Portia's legs. Ember grabbed the opposite end of the sofa from me.

I didn't know anything about the movie. It was a spy movie with long action sequences, a sort of visual inundation. From time to time, one of the girls asked, "Is that even possible, Portia?"

Sometimes she answered, "Yes." Most of the times it was some form of "unlikely" or "no way".

Partway through the movie, Monique grabbed the remote and hit pause. "Snacks?"

And so we all trooped back to the kitchen. I made popcorn, unbuttered, then flavored it with nooch -- nutritional yeast. I didn't tell anyone what it was, but I put it out and said, "Everyone try a few pieces, then give it a little chance to decide if you like it."

"What is it?" Portia eyed it dubiously.

I took some and popped it in my mouth. "It's good, and it's healthier than butter. What have I given you that you've hated?"

So, somewhat reluctantly, they tried it. Then they tried a little more.

"May we melt some butter and add salt?" Monique asked.

"If you don't like it this way, yes." I took my bowl. "That one's for the rest of you."

"What about mine?" Portia said. "There's not enough there to share with me."

"Oh. I thought you didn't like it."

"I did," she said. "Make more."

So I did.

Portia made other things that were more wolf-friendly, and it didn't take long before we were back for the rest of the movie.

Ember stole some of my popcorn and grinned at me.

The movie ended in the usual flurry of explosions, rippling chest muscles, and male chest thumping. The wolves seemed to like it, but they also heckled it, once it was over.

Still, it was fun to have had them over to watch it.

"All right," Monique said. "A run." She grinned. "What fear factor, Zoe?"

"Oh, no," said Portia. "I heard about that."

"But-"

"We're supposed to be making Zoe laugh so she's ready for the next movie," Portia said. Then she grinned. "You'll have to scare the crap out of her another time."

Monique returned the grin. "You won't stop us?"

"I cannot promise I won't overreact if I hear her screaming," Portia said. "But all of you better be careful with her."

"All right!" Monique said. She popped to her feet, pulled Cassie up, then said, "We'll switch halfway. How long a run, Portia?"

"Ten minutes should be enough."

"Ember, get the door!" A moment later Monique and Cassie had my arms and we were out the door.

We went south this time, Portia ranging ahead of us, and Ember following along behind. We stayed to the trail, but we ran so fast, so fast.

Yes, I laughed and squealed with the joy of it.

Then Portia came to a stop. Monique and Cassie practically threw me into her arms. She caught me and, with me laughing around it, she gave me a quick kiss. "All right, Ember," Portia said. "Our turn for the trip back."

We didn't run quite as quickly; Ember wasn't as big as Cassie, and she hadn't been pulling me around as much as some of the other girls, but it was still far, far faster than I could run, and we arrived back at the house with all of us laughing.

None of the girls had ever seen a lesbian romantic comedy before. I'm not sure Portia had, either, and I didn't tell them that's what it was. I let them figure it out.

"Oh my god!" Monique finally said. "Those two are lesbians!"

I began laughing. "You finally figured it out?"

A few minutes later, Ember lay down with her head in my lap. I thought that was sweet, and I put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me and smiled, then went back to watching the movie.

Monique and Cassie cuddled together on the floor, leaning against the sofa and Portia's legs. And I, of course, leaned against her side. A while later, Ember captured my hand and held it, pulling it under her chin and cupping it with both hands. I spent the next several minutes looking down at her instead of watching the movie.

It was all very cozy, and I didn't want the evening to end.

But of course, it did.

"I liked that movie," Ember said over the credits.

"Me, too," agreed Cassie. She looked up at me. "Monique and I already talked. She told me what you said about dating steady. Or not going steady. But..."

"We'll figure something out. I don't want twenty people here for movie night, but we can handle a few more. I kept it small this time to get us started."

"So even if Monique doesn't invite me, I may come?"

I glanced at Portia.

"You're the social coordinator," she said.

"Yes, Cassie. Because of all the other things we do, we can't do this every week. We're all going out of town next weekend, for instance. But once or twice a month."

"Some of the other kids wanted to come," Monique said.

"The house isn't big enough for more than about one more couple," I said.

"We didn't use two chairs," Monique said, "and there's room for two more on the floor."

"We'll see," I said with a laugh.

Everyone got up. Ember disappeared into the bathroom. Monique and Cassie offered to clean up, but I insisted I had it covered. They gave us hugs, looked after Ember for a minute, then decided to head out.

Ember was waiting for that; I'm sure she was, as she appeared twenty seconds later. "Were you guys going to bed? Or were you going to watch one more?"

It was late, but I could tell she didn't want to go home. "Bed soon, but did you want to hang out for a little while?"