Read Online Wolf Women (The Madison Wolves Book 10) by Robin Roseau - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robin Roseau
Ads: Link
you naked, and we see each other naked all the time. Humans think it's a big deal. I bet you aren't embarrassed to see us in fur, but you look away when we're in skin. Why?"
"Um. God, I don't know, Ember. If you were raised by a human mother and didn't know you were a wolf, why aren't you more like me?"
"It was a long time ago and I don't remember very well. Zoe, do you have any tattoos?"
"Not a one. Do you?"
"No." She paused. "Do you know about bride ransom night?"
"Michaela explained it tonight," I said.
"I bet you think it's terrible."
"I think I have to think about it a lot more. I can understand it for wolves, but as a human, I don't think I'd do very well."
"We wouldn't really hurt you, like, we wouldn't break your hands or anything."
"What?" I shrieked. "You break hands?"
"Well, if she isn't begging, eventually. Or other things. I mean, she has to beg, or her groom has to pay anyway, but usually they wait until the bride begs. If the ransom is too high, he might still not pay. At least, that's what happened with one of my cousins. But we shift a few times, and it's all better."
"That's all it takes?"
"Yep. Want to see?"
"No!"
"Are you sure? You can break my hand, and then I'll shift. It hurts, but I'd show you."
"Now you're just teasing."
She laughed. "Yep. So, you know about bride ransom. And you've seen Michaela's tattoos. And Lara has tattoos, too."
"Michaela said hers are from her ransom nights."
"Yeah. Well, I hope my kidnappers make me take a tattoo. I want my skin bare until then, and then wear a tattoo for my new groom. Or bride. I haven't decided."
"When you're older, and you know for sure who would be kidnapping you, or at least some of them, find a way to tell them. If that's allowed. Is that allowed?"
"I don't know. But there isn't a bride ransom night police force, so who is to say it isn't?"
I laughed. "Good logic," I said.
"Are you and Portia going to get married?"
"She hasn't asked me."
"If she asks you?"
"I think she should be the first one to hear my answer."
"So that means 'yes'. So you'll have a ransom night. Is there anything you want them to do to you?"
"Foot massages, pedicures, facial treatments..."
She laughed. "I don't think it works that way." She changed her voice. "Portia, they're rubbing my feet. It feels so good. Oh god, it feels so good. Please pay my ransom so they'll stop." She laughed again. "Yeah, I don't think it works that way. What do you want them to do?"
"I don't know, Ember. Michaela told me some of the things they did to her, but they were things Lara wanted, not things Michaela wanted done."
"Oh, I suppose. Well, what if Portia has a ransom night? Do you want them to give her a tattoo?"
"No. If Portia gets a tattoo, I want to be there."
She huffed. "You're not very good at this game."
"I'm sorry. This isn't the sort of tradition that humans would look forward to."
"But-" She paused. "I suppose not. Some brides try to get out of it. Are you going to do that?"
I thought about it. "No. Michaela said it's important."
We grew quiet again. I closed my eyes. It was getting chilly, and I wouldn't last much longer, but I was hoping the wolves would get back so Ember wouldn't be alone.
"Zoe?"
"Ember?"
"How do you get someone to ask you out?"
"You could ask him. Or her."
"No I can't."
"Why not?"
"Um. Because the people I want to ask me out are dominant wolves, and I'm not. I try flirting with them, but they still don't ask. Maybe I don't flirt very well."
"I don't believe in playing games to get asked out," I said. "I ask. Who did you want to ask you?"
"Anyone," she said. "Maybe Monique, but anyone. I've never gone on a date. No one asks me."
What was with teenagers coming to me for dating advice?
"Boys or only girls?"
"I don't know, Zoe."
How could she not know? I always knew.
"So if one of the girls asked you, you'd go?"
"Yes."
"Anyone you wouldn't go out with?"
"Kaylee's a little young."
"How about the boys?"
"They can be
"Um. God, I don't know, Ember. If you were raised by a human mother and didn't know you were a wolf, why aren't you more like me?"
"It was a long time ago and I don't remember very well. Zoe, do you have any tattoos?"
"Not a one. Do you?"
"No." She paused. "Do you know about bride ransom night?"
"Michaela explained it tonight," I said.
"I bet you think it's terrible."
"I think I have to think about it a lot more. I can understand it for wolves, but as a human, I don't think I'd do very well."
"We wouldn't really hurt you, like, we wouldn't break your hands or anything."
"What?" I shrieked. "You break hands?"
"Well, if she isn't begging, eventually. Or other things. I mean, she has to beg, or her groom has to pay anyway, but usually they wait until the bride begs. If the ransom is too high, he might still not pay. At least, that's what happened with one of my cousins. But we shift a few times, and it's all better."
"That's all it takes?"
"Yep. Want to see?"
"No!"
"Are you sure? You can break my hand, and then I'll shift. It hurts, but I'd show you."
"Now you're just teasing."
She laughed. "Yep. So, you know about bride ransom. And you've seen Michaela's tattoos. And Lara has tattoos, too."
"Michaela said hers are from her ransom nights."
"Yeah. Well, I hope my kidnappers make me take a tattoo. I want my skin bare until then, and then wear a tattoo for my new groom. Or bride. I haven't decided."
"When you're older, and you know for sure who would be kidnapping you, or at least some of them, find a way to tell them. If that's allowed. Is that allowed?"
"I don't know. But there isn't a bride ransom night police force, so who is to say it isn't?"
I laughed. "Good logic," I said.
"Are you and Portia going to get married?"
"She hasn't asked me."
"If she asks you?"
"I think she should be the first one to hear my answer."
"So that means 'yes'. So you'll have a ransom night. Is there anything you want them to do to you?"
"Foot massages, pedicures, facial treatments..."
She laughed. "I don't think it works that way." She changed her voice. "Portia, they're rubbing my feet. It feels so good. Oh god, it feels so good. Please pay my ransom so they'll stop." She laughed again. "Yeah, I don't think it works that way. What do you want them to do?"
"I don't know, Ember. Michaela told me some of the things they did to her, but they were things Lara wanted, not things Michaela wanted done."
"Oh, I suppose. Well, what if Portia has a ransom night? Do you want them to give her a tattoo?"
"No. If Portia gets a tattoo, I want to be there."
She huffed. "You're not very good at this game."
"I'm sorry. This isn't the sort of tradition that humans would look forward to."
"But-" She paused. "I suppose not. Some brides try to get out of it. Are you going to do that?"
I thought about it. "No. Michaela said it's important."
We grew quiet again. I closed my eyes. It was getting chilly, and I wouldn't last much longer, but I was hoping the wolves would get back so Ember wouldn't be alone.
"Zoe?"
"Ember?"
"How do you get someone to ask you out?"
"You could ask him. Or her."
"No I can't."
"Why not?"
"Um. Because the people I want to ask me out are dominant wolves, and I'm not. I try flirting with them, but they still don't ask. Maybe I don't flirt very well."
"I don't believe in playing games to get asked out," I said. "I ask. Who did you want to ask you?"
"Anyone," she said. "Maybe Monique, but anyone. I've never gone on a date. No one asks me."
What was with teenagers coming to me for dating advice?
"Boys or only girls?"
"I don't know, Zoe."
How could she not know? I always knew.
"So if one of the girls asked you, you'd go?"
"Yes."
"Anyone you wouldn't go out with?"
"Kaylee's a little young."
"How about the boys?"
"They can be
Similar Books
