Free Fox Play by Robin Roseau

know you like some of us finally did yesterday, perhaps it would have happened sooner rather than later. But, bluntly, most of us were rather dismissive of you. A fox? What could Lara possibly see in you?"
    "I think I understand."
    "Deep down, most of us will always have a hard time understanding you, Michaela," Vivian said. "May I ask some very personal questions?"
    "I guess," I said.
    "Are you afraid all the time?"
    "No," I said. "Not all the time. I'm not afraid when Lara is holding me. Sometimes when I'm out on the lake in my kayak, I'm not afraid."
    "Lara, I believe your fox needs you," Vivian said.
    Lara got up and was immediately at my side, pulling me into her arms. I clung to her, breathing deeply, and trying very hard not to cry.
    "Michaela," Vivian said. "I know you still are wondering if Lara is just an exceptionally good actress and has been leading you on for months. Maybe it is just a small part of you that wonders this. But I want you to look around this room. Everyone in here is asking for your help. We're asking because we trust your judgment. Would we trust your judgment if we knew it was flawed?"
    I buried my face in Lara's chest, sucking in wracking sobs. Lara held me tightly, clutching at me as hard as I was clutching at her.
    No one said anything for a while. I couldn't believe all these people were sitting here watching me cry. Finally I settled down, and someone had slid a box of tissues to my place at the table. I wondered why wolves needed tissues. I glanced at the box while taking several to deal with my disorder.
    "I think for future meetings of the council, the little fox should sit next to the alpha," Vivian said. "We may be able to keep things moving more smoothly that way."
    "I am so sorry," I said.
    Vivian looked around the room. "We have thrown a lot at you in a short time, and you have a great deal of cause to distrust wolves."
    I looked around the room and found Violet. "I am sorry for what I said yesterday at dinner."
    "About putting a bell on me?" She asked. I nodded. "Don't apologize. I was put out at the time, but Vivian pointed out you were making a reasonable attempt to cope with a deeply difficult situation, and that it was a mistake to think of you as wolf. In fact," she said. And then shifted and I heard a bell. I stared at her.
    Then Vivian shifted, and there was a bell. Then one by one, the other members shifted, and there was the sound of a little jingle bell.
    I couldn't help it. I began laughing. They had done something silly just to make me feel better.
    "Don't expect us to wear them in public," Mr. Berg said. "But we wanted you to know we have a sense of humor. And to make sure you understand. You are one of us now."
    I breathed in Lara's scent again and looked up into her face. I was about to apologize.
    "No, little fox," Vivian said. "You had every right to question things. Do not apologize for doing so."
    Lara kissed me quickly, then whispered in my ear. "We're fine. More than fine. All right?" I nodded.
    "All right," I said. "What do you need me to do?"
    "Just pay attention tonight," said Lara. "And lose."
    "What?"
    "We're playing a long game," she said.
    "You're making me lose my own money? I'm not rich like everyone else in here."
    "We'll let you win it back," Vivian said. "But there needs to be a paper trail showing you pulled the money out of your own account, and we can't turn around and replace it next week. It needs to look like you lost, and it needs to stand up to a pretty solid investigation."
    "Besides," said Elizabeth. "Most of it is Janice's money anyway."
    I laughed. "And some of yours, and quite a bit of Malcolm's, and not a small amount of the alpha's. But still, I worked hard for that money!"
    "Especially the alpha's," Elisabeth said. "You definitely worked hard for her money."
    "Elisabeth!" I said.
    She looked at me smugly.
    "All right," I said. "Was there more?"
    "We're meeting them for dinner," Lara said. "We'll leave in an hour. You'll need to get