Fox Afield (Madison Wolves) Read Online Free PDF Page B

outdoor activities.
    "My favorite is kayaking on Lake Superior," I said.
    She smiled. "I climb mountains."
    "Technical climbing?" I asked her.
    She nodded. "It's my one release," she explained. "Colorado is a great place for it."
    "I grew up in the White Mountains," I said, "and did my share of running through mountains, but we never did any technical climbing. I wonder if we'll get a chance to try while we're here."
    Brooke smiled and said, "I hope you do. It seems like something you might enjoy."
    The meal continued in the same vein, the two families getting to know each other, everyone amiable. Brooke and her parents were polite and charming, and even Elisabeth began to relax by the end of the meal.
    We wrapped up, and Lara be gan to wonder where the check was.
    "Already covered," Daniel said. Lara thanked him graciously, and we rose from our seats.
    "Daniel," I said. "As I remember, the National Center for Atmospheric Research is in Boulder. Is that true?"
    "Yes, it is," he said.
    "Lara," I said. "I suppose we need to be on our way."
    "We have a bit of a drive," she agreed.
    "I suppose it would be too much to ask for us to stop by NCAR."
    She glanced at her watch. "Maybe next time," she said.
    "All right," I told her.
    Once we stepped outside, Elisabeth and Karen ushered me into our car while Lara stayed to talk to Daniel. Elisabeth began grilling me about my ride with the Bancrofts, but I refused to tell her much. "I am just going to have to repeat it," I said. "Lara is going to want to hear. But Elisabeth, keep that brother away from me."
    "Wendy warned me about him," Karen said. "He isn't happy his sister is to be Alpha, but he is too stupid to lead."
    "We've seen that before," Elisabeth said.
    Lara climbed in the car and pulled me into her arms immediately. She began checking me for damage, even though she knew I was fine. I let her fuss at me; I knew she meant well.
    "I'm fine," I finally told her.
    "All right," she said. "We're going to follow them out of town so we get started in the right direction. In the meantime, tell me about the car ride."
    So I did. Elisabeth and Lara both asked me questions especially about my perceptions, which I summed up easily. "I like them and I think they're being honest with us."
    Out little convoy had begun climbing into the hills after leaving Boulder, but I wasn't paying any attention until we came to a stop. I looked out my window and could see quite a distance away, down the hills, but I couldn't really see past Lara to the other side, and that was when I realized she was intentionally hiding my view out her window.
    "Lara," I asked her. "Where are we?"
    She smiled sweetly. "Daniel has arranged a little tour for us."
    I feinted a peek past her, then managed to finally look. "I know those buildings!" I said. We were outside NCAR.
    We all climbed out, and Daniel was grinning at me. I offered a small bow to him, and then he led the way into the amazing structure.
    We were met by a human woman named Dr. Judy Enrud, who Daniel introduced as "having married into the family." I took that to mean she was a human married to a wolf, much like Michele Lassiter was. I didn't make myself any more known than the rest of our group, and she began to give us a tour.
    I immediately started asking questions, and slowly the two of us gravitated towards each other, everyone else giving us room. "You're not a wolf," she said quietly. "But you're not human either."
    "Fox," I explained.
    She asked my background. "I used to work for the US Fish and Wildlife Service," I explained. "Now I teach high school science. I'm probably wasting your time-"
    "Nonsense!" she said firmly. "Do you know how important it is to have passionate high school science teachers? I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for my physics teacher." She asked me questions about what I was teaching and was shocked at my course offerings.
    "Well, I have the cream of the pack," I said. "And they are very motivated. We have to keep them