Wolf Ways (The Madison Wolves Book 9) (28 page)

Michaela went back to pacing, and I sat in the chair, staring at the wall. Finally she came to a stop. “I can’t let you go unpunished for running Monique over.”

“I didn’t run her over. And it was her fault. Punish her if someone has to be punished.” I looked up at her. “You can call it insubordination for trying to drive away, but I will not admit to risking someone’s life.”

“Michaela,” Lara said, “She has a point. But so do you. Perhaps you are pursing the wrong charge.”

“I don’t know what other charge to apply.”

From somewhere behind me, Portia said, “Reckless driving.”

Michaela immediately began to smile. “Perfect. I will agree to withdraw the original charge if you’ll plead guilty to reckless driving.”

“I wasn’t driving recklessly!”

“Oh, I think you were.”

“Were you there?” I asked. “Did you see it? Is there video we can watch? If not, where is my accuser?”

“Portia was there,” Michaela replied.

“My car was at a stop before Monique even called Portia to tell her where I was. It was at the second stop before she excited the building. I believe I was already yelling out my window at Monique for being crazy by the time the other enforcers arrived. She never saw my car moving.”

“Monique was draped across the hood of your car, Zoe,” Portia said. “That’s at least reckless driving.”

I turned to face her. “She was draped across the hood of my car because she jumped there while I was in reverse! That’s why I stopped the second time, to avoid hurting her if she fell.”

You could have heard a pin drop, and then Lara said, “I believe you need to explain everything from the moment you got into your car until the moment Portia pulled you out of it.”

I stared at her. “Self-incrimination?” I asked.

“Or we can bring Monique back,” Lara said. “Whose version would you rather I hear?”

I sighed and told her what had happened, more or less. I didn’t mention I intended to exit the parking lot by driving across her grass. She didn’t ask, but I presumed she figured that out.

“Michaela, do you care to bring Monique back for her version?” Lara asked.

“No. Zoe’s version fits everything else we’ve heard and explains her adamant refusal to accept responsibility.”

“Do either of you have more to say on this matter?”

“No,” we both agreed.

“Very well. Ms. Young, you have pled guilty to the charges of insubordination, and we will address those shortly. You have pled not guilty to any charges related to your handling of the automobile. The prosecution has withdrawn the charge of endangerment but has not withdrawn the charge of reckless driving. I believe it was your intention to flee the scene by any route necessary, and as Monique had closed off the most obvious route, you were about to make a new one. Do you wish to argue with me?”

“No, Alpha,” I said in a small voice.

“Well then, I believe it is safe to say your intention to drive across my grass, across a sidewalk, over a curb, and to then enter traffic, all presumably in reverse, qualifies as reckless driving. The fact that Monique stopped you from doing so does not absolve you. She may have saved your life or at least a far greater charge than anything presented here today. Guilty of reckless driving.”

I didn’t look up. I hadn’t thought about that last part, and it was probably fair, although the situation itself was not.

“Do either of you have anything to say before we discuss sentencing?”

“No, Alpha,” I said. I knew nothing I had to say was going to matter.

“I do,” said Michaela. “I still require this pack member to integrate with the pack, and I request any punishment be consistent with that overall goal. Furthermore, she has suffered enough fear and a certain amount of humiliation, and I would prefer we not add to it.” But she moved to stand behind Lara and whispered into her ear.

“Of course,” said Lara with a smile. “Zoe Young, please rise for sentencing.”

I climbed to my feet.

“Four counts of insubordination. Twenty-five hours of pack service each. As some of your insubordination offenses were to the enforcers, fifty of those hours are to be served in any fashion decreed by the enforcers. The other half are as decreed by either alpha.” She paused. “For the charge of reckless driving, your driving privileges are suspended until your sentence has been completed. You will remain in enforcer custody during that time.”

I stared at the floor. “You’re throwing me back in that cell for intending to run over your grass?”

“No, actually,” she said.

“Serena,” said Michaela. “I wish you to release Portia from my security detail for a few weeks. She is needed elsewhere. I promise I’ll behave, but if we need her from time to time, she’ll be available.”

“Of course, Alpha,” Serena said.

“Very good,” said Michaela. “Portia, we remand Zoe Young into your custody. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not, Alpha,” Portia said.

“Excellent,” said Michaela. “You will need to monitor her service hours, and you may utilize other enforcers to keep an eye on her if necessary.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“She owes Elisabeth a day of service,” Michaela said. “As that agreement was made while they were dating, but there is tension between the two of them, I am transferring that day of service to you.”

I wasn’t looking at Portia, so I don’t know if she nodded.

“She owes five days to me and five to Lara,” Michaela went on, “on top of the service hours just assigned. She will spend her five days helping me with classes.”

“I have not decided how she will spend her time for me,” Lara continued. “I will let you both know.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Portia said.

“Then I believe this hearing is over. You are both dismissed.”

“Excuse me,” I said, “but you are both forgetting something.”

They both raised an eyebrow — opposite eyebrows, no less.

“I don’t belong here!”

Michaela smiled. “I think you’re wrong. And now I have several weeks to prove it.”

I stared at her. Then her smile turned somewhat predatory, and she moved closer. “Now, I am going to give you a choice. You will agree to completely obey Portia. You will agree to give her no trouble. You will agree to make no attempt to leave the compound without her express permission, and probably her company. And you will agree to spend your time here in as pleasant a fashion as you can muster.”

“Or?” I asked. I knew there was an or.

“Or you can wear a tracking bracelet, and any time Portia is unable to directly supervise you, you will spend in the cell.”

“But you’re going to send me to the cell anyway!”

“Actually,” said Portia. “She’s not. You’re coming home with me.”

I turned to her, confused.

“Zoe,” Michaela said. “If there’s anyone on the compound you consider a friend, I thought Portia was at the top of the list.”

I turned back to her, even more confused.

“I can’t let you get away with your behavior today. You’re going to work your ass off as penitence. But that doesn’t mean we’re not friends, Zoe.” She smiled again. “So, agreeable, well-behaved, and pleasant? Or the tracking collar, et cetera, et cetera?”

“I-” I looked away. I was still terribly upset, and I wasn’t sure how aggrieved I felt. “I’ll behave,” I said. “I’ll try to be pleasant. But I’m human. I’m still upset.” That was putting it mildly.

“Of course,” she said. “Dinner is an hour. That should be sufficient time to calm down and clean up. I expect you there. With a smile.”

“Yes, Alpha,” I said. I didn’t think the smile was likely.

Portia led me home. It was a smaller house past Elisabeth’s, but it was cute and cozy. During the walk, she kept her hand on my back. I asked her about it.

“Does it bother you?”

“No.” I looked over at her. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“You got saddled with me.”

“Oh. I’m not.”

“You’re not?”

“No.” She paused. “Let’s talk about it in a minute. We’re almost there.”

We walked quietly for another minute, passing another house before she said, “This one’s mine.”

“It’s cute,” I said.

“Thanks, but I don’t take credit. I’ve only had it for a couple of months. I haven’t had a chance to do a thing with it.”

She led the way to the front door. It wasn’t locked. “All of you were paranoid about my security, but yours is unlocked?”

“Who would dare?” she asked. “If anyone were here, I could smell who it was.”

“Really? They couldn’t disguise it? They could use Angel’s shampoo or something.”

“Yeah, well, and I have surveillance cameras.”

I laughed.

She showed me the house. It was a two-bedroom rambler, making it about the same size as my apartment, although she had a basement she used for storage. “This is your room,” Portia said. “I’ve seen your place. You’re not a pig. But as you can see, I keep everything tidy.”

“I understand. You’ll hardly know I’m here.”

“Come sit,” she said, leading the way back to the living room.

“I need a shower.”

“You have time, and I’ll loan you a shirt. It’ll be too big, but no one is going to care.” She gestured to a place on the sofa then took the other end. We turned to each other. “You asked why I don’t mind. Several reasons. First, you’re not going to be any trouble at all, are you?”

I looked down at my hands. “No.”

“Good.” She paused. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, Zoe.”

“I’m disrupting your life.”

“That’s not how I see it. I see it as having a roommate for a week or two. We’ll make it an extended slumber party.”

I looked up.

“It’s only a hundred hours. You could do that in a week if you really wanted to, but you would be pretty fried.”

“A hundred hours plus eleven days. Do they really mean for you to follow me around while I do whatever chores I’m assigned.”

“Probably, but I have another idea.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” She began to grin. “Do you know how to use a hammer?”

“You hit the screw with the big heavy end.”

“Please tell me that was a joke.”

“I can nail a sign to a tree.”

“Do you know how to paint the sign before you nail it up?”

“I’ve painted a time or two.”

“I like painting,” she said.

“It’s therapeutic,” I added.

“Perfect,” Portia said with another smile. “Any questions?”

“I need my things. I don’t have any GreEN events for a few weeks, but I have to mail out photographs as orders arrive. And I bet there’s nothing in your kitchen I can eat.” I paused. “Please don’t make me cook for you, Portia. Please.”

“Of course not,” she said. “We’ll hit your apartment after dinner and the grocery store on the way back. Anything else?”

I shook my head.

“Go hit the shower then,” she said. “There’s soap and shampoo. I’ll find a shirt for you and leave it on your bed.”

* * * *

At dinner, I was embarrassed. I felt like a criminal, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to behave. That latter part wasn’t new though; I never knew how to behave around the wolves. It didn’t help that Elisabeth was there, and it was clear neither of us was comfortable around the other. And, of course, I was still sullen and upset from everything else. I hadn’t deserved any of it.

I didn’t say a word to anyone, didn’t smile, and ignored most of the conversation.

But then, about ten minutes into the meal, Portia said, “Alpha?”

Both Lara and Michaela turned to her. “Which one?” Michaela asked with a laugh.

“I’m not sure.” She looked around. “Your walls could use some fresh paint.”

Both Lara and Michaela looked. “I hadn’t noticed,” Lara said.

“She’s right,” Francesca said. “And the outside is due as well.”

“Am I right in believing you intend for your convict to paint this house?” Lara asked.

I bristled a little at the term “convict”, but I didn’t say anything to that, either.

“That is correct, but perhaps you had other tasks to assign.”

“Do we have paint, Francesca?” Lara asked.

“Begging your pardon, Alpha,” Francesca said, “but whether we have paint or not is below your pay grade. Is Zoe painting the house?”

“Yes,” Lara said. “If you feel it is a good use of her time.”

“Then I will handle it,” she said.

“Very good,” said Lara.

“Head enforcer,” Portia said. “Did you care to direct how Zoe serves her sentence to the enforcers?”

The thought that I’d be answering to Elisabeth turned me cold inside.

“No,” Elisabeth replied. “The offenses were against your team, and you are now managing her. Use your judgment, but I’d encourage you to work with the other enforcers.”

“Good,” she said. “Thank you.” She turned and smiled at me then said, “If you have requests for Zoe’s time, let me know. Otherwise I’ll find enough to keep her busy.”

“Make sure the other enforcers know,” Michaela said.

“Yes, Alpha,” Portia said. “I’ll handle it.”

And at that, the conversation flowed to other topics until Michaela turned to me. “You’re quiet, Zoe.”

“You know me, Michaela,” I said without looking up. “When I have an opinion, I’ll share it.”

She barked a laugh.

Dinner eventually wrapped up. Portia leaned over to me. “Help with dishes.”

“Going to talk about me?”

“Frankly, yes.”

“All right.”

Twenty minutes later, the kitchen was spotless and the kids had dispersed. I wondered if it was safe to return to the other room. I made sure to make noise as I exited the kitchen.

I couldn’t tell if they had to change the topic when I returned, but Karen and Elisabeth were discussing patrols around the compound, and it didn’t seem forced. Portia smiled at me. “Time to go.”

* * * *

It was after ten by the time we were back at Portia’s. She helped me put my things away then turned to me. “You owe me one day of personal service.”

“So I do.”

“I would like to know the limits of what you are willing to do without resenting it.”

“Are you asking for sex?”

“No.”

“Are you going to ask me to do anything that violates my ethics?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Well, I don’t know what you have in mind, but I’ll tell you if I think you’re being unreasonable.”

She smiled. “One hour of pampering at bedtime each night?”

I smiled. “Sure.”

“I will use the bathroom. When I am done, you will get ready for bed and then find me in my room.”

I nodded agreement.

Fifteen minutes later, I knocked hesitantly at her door. “Portia?”

“I’d rather you not bother knocking,” she said. “Come in.”

I slipped into the room. The lights were out, but I could see she was in bed, lying on her stomach.

“You may pamper me however you want,” she directed. “No particular task is required. If you ask my opinion, I will give it.”

I moved to the edge of the bed and sat down next to her. “Before we get to that, I want to tell you something.”

“This sounds serious,” she said.

“I don’t deserve the way this pack has treated me,” I said. “If I could go back in time and destroy those videos, and then never act on them, I would do so.”

From the bed, she sighed.

“I didn’t deserve anything that happened today, and I don’t deserve this punishment. I certainly don’t deserve those eleven days of service Michaela forced out of me.”

“Zoe…”

“I’m not done.” I paused. “But through all this, and ignoring the way I was dragged here today, you’re the only adult member of the pack who has truly acted as a friend. I still feel you were saddled with me, but I will do my best not to make this worse for you. And I don’t mind the way I’m paying this one day of duty.” I paused. “I may pamper you however I want?”

“Yes. Zoe…”

I set my hand on her back, trying to silence her. “I just thought you should know that. Or maybe I just needed to say it to someone I didn’t think would add to my punishment. I won’t give you any trouble, and I’ll try to think of this as an extended slumber party, too. In between the hundred hours of manual labor I don’t deserve.”

“Zoe-”

“I don’t belong here, Portia,” I said. “Everyone knows it. I don’t know why Michaela won’t just leave me alone. I don’t know why she wants the stress of having Elisabeth and me in the same room together. Does she think I’m actually going to forget everyone knows I wasn’t good enough for her?”

“Zoe,” Portia said again, her tone gentle.

“That’s all I had to say, Portia. I don’t want to talk about any of it. There’s nothing more to say.”

Then I didn’t wait. I peeled the covers away from her. As far as I withdrew them, she was naked. I shouldn’t have been surprised; the wolves had no modesty about their bodies. I supposed if I had bodies as fabulous as theirs, I’d be comfortable showing it off, too.

Portia, just like Elisabeth, was truly magnificent. Even in the dim light, I found myself staring at her back.

I had an idea this was what she meant by pampering, so I had brought hand lotion. I didn’t have massage oil. I squirted lotion in my hands, warmed it, then warned her, “This might be cold.” A moment later, I was massaging her back.

“That feels nice,” she said. “Zoe, if Elisabeth didn’t think you were good enough for her, that’s her problem, not yours. And it is her loss. She’s not going to find what she thinks she wants, whereas you still can. All right?”

I thought about it and grunted. Portia took that as assent.

“I’m glad you’re here, Zoe,” she said.

I thought about it. “I don’t mind being here with you,” I said quietly. “Thank you for having me.”

She let me work for a few minutes before she said, “I want you to talk to me while you do this,” she said. “Tell me about yourself. Maybe tell me about your childhood or your family. And it’s up to you, but you can be far, far firmer than that. It’s okay to really put your weight into it. You can sit on me if needed for leverage.”

I was determined to give her good value, so I took her suggestion, throwing a leg over her hips and straddling her, then sitting on her ass. “Is this all right?”

“You won’t break me, Zoe,” she said. “I’ll say something if it’s uncomfortable.”

I leaned into my hands and worked harder. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything. Each night, I want you to tell me about yourself.”

“All right.” I thought about it. “Did I tell you how I became an environmentalist?”

“No.”

“Well, it all started with a camping trip…”

* * * *

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”

“Mmm?”

A finger brushed against my cheek. “You have a big day ahead.”

I rolled onto my side and opened my eyes. “Portia?”

“Wake up, Zoe,” she said. “Workout clothes and a light snack. You can shower after the gym.”

I glanced at the bedroom window. “It’s still dark out.”

“Dawn is almost here.”

“I’m not an early riser, Portia.”

“You are for the next week or two.” She leaned over and whispered into my ear. “If I have to come back in here a second time, I will bring ice with me.”

“I’m up! I’m up!” I struggled to sit and swing my feet out of the bed.

She laughed and pulled me to my feet then, walking backwards, she led me out of the bedroom and towards the bathroom. “Don’t shower. Use the bathroom, brush your teeth and run a brush through your hair. Pack your clothes for the day; we’ll shower at the gym. And Zoe?”

I blinked at her.

“Hurry. There’s no reason to make me wait for you.”

I wouldn’t say I hurried, but I didn’t dawdle, either. When I presented myself in the kitchen, dressed in sweats, Portia smiled. “Good. Tomorrow you will be faster.” She pointed to the refrigerator. “Make yourself a pre-workout snack.”

“We’re working out?”

“We are.”

“I suppose that doesn’t count towards my sentence.”

“No. It counts as quality time with me.”

I thought about that and decided I was entirely okay with it.