on the grass. A few had blankets spread out. They all looked happy and comfortable.
"Elisabeth," Lara said quietly. "Will you officiate tonight? Do a few stories or games before asking me to speak."
"Nervous, sister?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
"And you, Little Fox?" Elisabeth asked.
"No."
Elisabeth waited a little longer for people to settle before she stood up and strode in front of the fire.
"Hello everyone," she said in a firm voice. "I bet you are all wondering why you're here tonight."
"What's the pool up to, Elisabeth?" I heard a voice from the middle of the pack ask.
Elisabeth laughed. "About half of you placed wagers," she said. "I haven't counted the total, but I've twice had to empty my bulging pockets. And yes, there is a winner. I hate to disappoint you, but the rumors I am challenging my sister for leadership of the pack are misplaced."
There were some chuckles.
"No one really bet on that, did they?" I asked loudly enough to be heard.
"Yes," Elisabeth said. "A certain troublemaker did. I won't mention Eri c's name."
Eyes shifted around, looking for Eric, and it was clear where he was just by watching everyone turn towards him.
"I wanted something no one else would pick," he said in defense. "At least if I'm right, I'll win the entire pot."
There were chuckles and a few good-natured ribbings before Elisabeth took control back. "Well, you will all need to be patient for a while. The alpha has demanded entertainment from her loyal subjects. " That earned more chuckles. "Who has a story?"
Mr. Berg shifted slightly, and Elisabeth caught the movement out of her eye. She turned to him, and he nodded.
"Ron Berg has a story," she said. "Councilor Berg?"
The councilor rose from his chair, thanked Elisabeth, then waited for her to take her seat before he began talking. He told a story of Lara getting into trouble as a young girl. As soon as he started, Lara said, "Oh hell."
I listened, rapt in attention, as I learned about Lara, in fur, getting chased by a Rottweiler through the neighborhoods of Madison with both of them being picked up by animal control. Mr. Berg told the story with a great deal of humor, and soon had the entire pack laughing at the escapade, including myself.
"Of course, she wasn't wearing a dog collar," he said. "No tags. No dog license."
"Oh god," she said again.
"Luckily, some of the other kids had seen her run off in wolf form."
"Probably the ones who dared me to taunt the Rottweiler in the first place!" Lara said.
"So her mother, the alpha's mate, contacted animal control. She had to pay a fine for having an unregistered dog, but luckily, Lara hadn't bit anyone."
I turned to her. "Did you enjoy your stint in a cage?"
"No more than you enjoyed yours," she told me. As part of my subterfuge in last autumn's investigations, Lara and Elisabeth had stuffed me into a cage; I hadn't taken it kindly.
Mr. Berg finished the story with a warning to the younger wolves before sitting back down, relinquishing the space to Elisabeth.
"Who wants to go next?" Elisabeth asked.
Vivian cleared her throat.
"Oh bloody hell!" Lara said.
Vivian got up, thanked Elisabeth, and told a story about Lara borrowing her mother's car when she was eleven. Lara tried to hide her head.
"It seems Lara was upset because her mother wouldn't let her have? What was it, Alpha?" Vivian asked.
"A pet hawk," Lara said. "All right? I wanted a pet hawk."
"What were you going to do with a pet hawk?" Vivian asked her.
Lara looked away.
Vivian turned back to the assembled wolves. "I believe she expected to train the hawk. Something about pigeons."
"The pigeons used to roost outside my bedroom window, and the y would begin that infernal cooing at sunrise every damned morning," Lara said. "I was going to use the hawk to catch the pigeons."
"Very resourceful," Vivian said. "So, undoubtedly suffering from a shortage of sleep, only getting nine hours a night instead of the eleven she wanted, Lara stole her mother's
"Elisabeth," Lara said quietly. "Will you officiate tonight? Do a few stories or games before asking me to speak."
"Nervous, sister?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
"And you, Little Fox?" Elisabeth asked.
"No."
Elisabeth waited a little longer for people to settle before she stood up and strode in front of the fire.
"Hello everyone," she said in a firm voice. "I bet you are all wondering why you're here tonight."
"What's the pool up to, Elisabeth?" I heard a voice from the middle of the pack ask.
Elisabeth laughed. "About half of you placed wagers," she said. "I haven't counted the total, but I've twice had to empty my bulging pockets. And yes, there is a winner. I hate to disappoint you, but the rumors I am challenging my sister for leadership of the pack are misplaced."
There were some chuckles.
"No one really bet on that, did they?" I asked loudly enough to be heard.
"Yes," Elisabeth said. "A certain troublemaker did. I won't mention Eri c's name."
Eyes shifted around, looking for Eric, and it was clear where he was just by watching everyone turn towards him.
"I wanted something no one else would pick," he said in defense. "At least if I'm right, I'll win the entire pot."
There were chuckles and a few good-natured ribbings before Elisabeth took control back. "Well, you will all need to be patient for a while. The alpha has demanded entertainment from her loyal subjects. " That earned more chuckles. "Who has a story?"
Mr. Berg shifted slightly, and Elisabeth caught the movement out of her eye. She turned to him, and he nodded.
"Ron Berg has a story," she said. "Councilor Berg?"
The councilor rose from his chair, thanked Elisabeth, then waited for her to take her seat before he began talking. He told a story of Lara getting into trouble as a young girl. As soon as he started, Lara said, "Oh hell."
I listened, rapt in attention, as I learned about Lara, in fur, getting chased by a Rottweiler through the neighborhoods of Madison with both of them being picked up by animal control. Mr. Berg told the story with a great deal of humor, and soon had the entire pack laughing at the escapade, including myself.
"Of course, she wasn't wearing a dog collar," he said. "No tags. No dog license."
"Oh god," she said again.
"Luckily, some of the other kids had seen her run off in wolf form."
"Probably the ones who dared me to taunt the Rottweiler in the first place!" Lara said.
"So her mother, the alpha's mate, contacted animal control. She had to pay a fine for having an unregistered dog, but luckily, Lara hadn't bit anyone."
I turned to her. "Did you enjoy your stint in a cage?"
"No more than you enjoyed yours," she told me. As part of my subterfuge in last autumn's investigations, Lara and Elisabeth had stuffed me into a cage; I hadn't taken it kindly.
Mr. Berg finished the story with a warning to the younger wolves before sitting back down, relinquishing the space to Elisabeth.
"Who wants to go next?" Elisabeth asked.
Vivian cleared her throat.
"Oh bloody hell!" Lara said.
Vivian got up, thanked Elisabeth, and told a story about Lara borrowing her mother's car when she was eleven. Lara tried to hide her head.
"It seems Lara was upset because her mother wouldn't let her have? What was it, Alpha?" Vivian asked.
"A pet hawk," Lara said. "All right? I wanted a pet hawk."
"What were you going to do with a pet hawk?" Vivian asked her.
Lara looked away.
Vivian turned back to the assembled wolves. "I believe she expected to train the hawk. Something about pigeons."
"The pigeons used to roost outside my bedroom window, and the y would begin that infernal cooing at sunrise every damned morning," Lara said. "I was going to use the hawk to catch the pigeons."
"Very resourceful," Vivian said. "So, undoubtedly suffering from a shortage of sleep, only getting nine hours a night instead of the eleven she wanted, Lara stole her mother's
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