about five minutes away. Moments later, the parking lot was full of enforcers, and finally the rest of us were allowed to climb out of the cars.
Simone was there with duffle bags filled with gear. She handed it out and led us on a short hike.
Cory looked sullen and refused to look at me. Ysabella took a chance to step over to Lara and me. "We explained about fox hunts, Michaela," she said. "He had no idea."
"I know," I said. "I don't hold it against him."
"You've been hunted, haven't you?" she asked gently.
"Yes."
"May I ask what happened?"
"I'm still alive," I said.
"You got away," she said.
"Sometimes," I said. "Sometimes they did."
"Brooke has the gist of it," Lara said. "Will you be climbing today, Ysabella?"
"Oh heavens, no," she said. "Daniel would never allow it."
"But he lets his children climb?" I said. "I don't understand."
She shrugged. "The alpha's children have somewhat more freedom than the alpha's mate," Ysabella explained. "You'll see."
I looked at Lara. "I better not see," I told her.
Ysabella looked back and forth between us but didn't comment. Lara wisely didn't comment, either.
Then I grinned. "I am the alpha, too," I said. "Perhaps my mate will have her liberties curtailed."
Lara growled playfully at me, and Ysabella laughed.
"Daniel has cause to be cautious," Ysabella said.
"Of course," I replied.
The hike to our climbing location wasn't long. When we got there, we found ourselves facing a bend in a hill. The cliff face in front of us angled out slightly with a distinct overhang near the top. But if we walked around the side, the wall was straighter with no overhang.
"All right," Simone said. "The only way up there is an hour's hike or straight up. There are four routes, all more difficult than you've done this week."
I eyed everything. The straight side looked easier, but I realized the handholds were sparse. I began digging through the bag that Elisabeth had carried, pulling out the fox-sized harness. I stepped into it and smiled. "May I go first?"
Simone laughed. "Which route were you thinking of taking?"
I stepped in front of the end of the cliff, the part with the overhang. "Here. Who is climbing with me?"
"I am," Brooke said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Daniel didn't look happy. "Perhaps Brooke and Simone should go first," he said.
"I'll lead," I told Brooke. I collected a supply of anchors from Simone. She gave a second supply to Brooke.
"Brooke," Daniel said. "Is this wise?"
Lara stepped up next to me. "Let Simone go first," she whispered quietly.
"All right," I said. I turned to Simone and was ready to hand her the bag of anchors, but she waved me away.
"No. You go," she said.
"But-" I looked at Daniel.
"You go," Simone said. "Use an anchor every five feet, and when you anchor yourself to belay Brooke, test everything very thoroughly."
I missed what Brooke told Daniel, but he backed away. Brooke repeated Simone's instructions, roped us up, anchored herself to the wall, and waited for me.
"On belay," I said.
"Belay on," she replied. "Take your time, Michaela. It's not a race."
I grinned.
I climbed fifteen feet before I set the first anchors. I set them in place, snapped the rope through them, then tested carefully. After that, I set anchors every five feet, or so, occasionally using two at a time. Eventually I set a bunch of anchors, far more than I really needed, and strapped myself in carefully. I tested thoroughly then yelled down, "I'm set. Off belay."
"Belay off!" Brooke said. "On belay."
I paused, triple checking I was ready, then yelled, "Belay on."
Brooke climbed the wall, far more quickly than I had, finally anchoring herself to my left and several feet below me. She tested her own place, then said, "Off belay." She had left my anchors in place.
"The next people can reuse your anchors," she said. "We'll remove them when we're ready to leave. Go on."
"We're not playing leapfrog?"
"No."
"Belay off. Ready?"
She nodded.
"On belay," I
Simone was there with duffle bags filled with gear. She handed it out and led us on a short hike.
Cory looked sullen and refused to look at me. Ysabella took a chance to step over to Lara and me. "We explained about fox hunts, Michaela," she said. "He had no idea."
"I know," I said. "I don't hold it against him."
"You've been hunted, haven't you?" she asked gently.
"Yes."
"May I ask what happened?"
"I'm still alive," I said.
"You got away," she said.
"Sometimes," I said. "Sometimes they did."
"Brooke has the gist of it," Lara said. "Will you be climbing today, Ysabella?"
"Oh heavens, no," she said. "Daniel would never allow it."
"But he lets his children climb?" I said. "I don't understand."
She shrugged. "The alpha's children have somewhat more freedom than the alpha's mate," Ysabella explained. "You'll see."
I looked at Lara. "I better not see," I told her.
Ysabella looked back and forth between us but didn't comment. Lara wisely didn't comment, either.
Then I grinned. "I am the alpha, too," I said. "Perhaps my mate will have her liberties curtailed."
Lara growled playfully at me, and Ysabella laughed.
"Daniel has cause to be cautious," Ysabella said.
"Of course," I replied.
The hike to our climbing location wasn't long. When we got there, we found ourselves facing a bend in a hill. The cliff face in front of us angled out slightly with a distinct overhang near the top. But if we walked around the side, the wall was straighter with no overhang.
"All right," Simone said. "The only way up there is an hour's hike or straight up. There are four routes, all more difficult than you've done this week."
I eyed everything. The straight side looked easier, but I realized the handholds were sparse. I began digging through the bag that Elisabeth had carried, pulling out the fox-sized harness. I stepped into it and smiled. "May I go first?"
Simone laughed. "Which route were you thinking of taking?"
I stepped in front of the end of the cliff, the part with the overhang. "Here. Who is climbing with me?"
"I am," Brooke said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Daniel didn't look happy. "Perhaps Brooke and Simone should go first," he said.
"I'll lead," I told Brooke. I collected a supply of anchors from Simone. She gave a second supply to Brooke.
"Brooke," Daniel said. "Is this wise?"
Lara stepped up next to me. "Let Simone go first," she whispered quietly.
"All right," I said. I turned to Simone and was ready to hand her the bag of anchors, but she waved me away.
"No. You go," she said.
"But-" I looked at Daniel.
"You go," Simone said. "Use an anchor every five feet, and when you anchor yourself to belay Brooke, test everything very thoroughly."
I missed what Brooke told Daniel, but he backed away. Brooke repeated Simone's instructions, roped us up, anchored herself to the wall, and waited for me.
"On belay," I said.
"Belay on," she replied. "Take your time, Michaela. It's not a race."
I grinned.
I climbed fifteen feet before I set the first anchors. I set them in place, snapped the rope through them, then tested carefully. After that, I set anchors every five feet, or so, occasionally using two at a time. Eventually I set a bunch of anchors, far more than I really needed, and strapped myself in carefully. I tested thoroughly then yelled down, "I'm set. Off belay."
"Belay off!" Brooke said. "On belay."
I paused, triple checking I was ready, then yelled, "Belay on."
Brooke climbed the wall, far more quickly than I had, finally anchoring herself to my left and several feet below me. She tested her own place, then said, "Off belay." She had left my anchors in place.
"The next people can reuse your anchors," she said. "We'll remove them when we're ready to leave. Go on."
"We're not playing leapfrog?"
"No."
"Belay off. Ready?"
She nodded.
"On belay," I
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