Page 52 of Skulk of Foxes
Apparently unconcerned that Morgan had consigned us all to hell with his sexy loose lips, Julie pointed upwards. ‘The guest rooms are ready. Feel free to kip down wherever you want.’
I glanced over. In theory, grabbing one of Julie’s beds and snuggling up to Morgan was my idea of heaven. The actress was bound to have some furry handcuffs kicking around somewhere; I could tie him up and have my wicked way with him. Unfortunately, the only thing I really wanted at the moment was sleep.
By unspoken agreement, we all headed upstairs. Morgan took my hand and gently steered me into a room. ‘We’re only sleeping,’ he warned. ‘We need to rest. But all the same, I want to know you’re close.’
I gave him a tired smile. ‘Oh, I’ll be close all right. Drooling on your shoulder and snoring in your ear, but close.’
He smiled back. ‘Paradise.’
I closed the bedroom door and wriggled out of my jeans. The bed was even more inviting than Morgan’s broad chest. I was going to dive down, close my eyes and fall fast asleep in an instant. Or I would have if the front door bell hadn’t suddenly rung, echoing round the house and making me jump.
I looked at Morgan, wide eyed. ‘I can’t think of any good reason why someone would ring Julie’s doorbell at this time of night.’
His expression was grim. ‘Me neither.’
I didn’t wait but flung the bedroom door open and pelted back down the stairs. Finn was already there, gripping a steel baseball bat in his hands.
‘You got our backs?’ I growled to Morgan who was right behind me.
‘I’m here,’ he answered.
We exchanged glances then I reached for the door and opened it.
I was fully prepared for anything: bazookas, rampaging Fey minions, Rubus. What I hadn’t expected was the sexiest-looking man I’d ever seen in my life lounging against the door frame and glinting at me with his baby blues.
As his eyes travelled down my bare legs, his grin widened and exposed a dimple in his cheek. He straightened up, a dark red curl falling across his forehead. ‘Well, well, well,’ he drawled with a faint Scottish brogue. ‘If I’d known the faeries were this gorgeous I’d have come to Manchester sooner.’
Morgan pushed past me, temporarily blocking my view. ‘Who the fuck are you?’ he snapped.
The handsome Scot bowed. ‘You rang and I answered. I am Monroe.’ He said this with a flourish, as if we should instantly know who he was.
Finn dropped the bat. It landed on Julie’s perfect parquet flooring with a clank and he bounded forward, gripping Monroe’s forearm with his hand. ‘Monroe! It’s a pleasure to meet you!’
Monroe inclined his head. ‘Indeed. And you are…?’
Finn beamed. ‘I’m Finn. I’m a Redcap. I’m the one who called you!’
Monroe seemed to relax slightly. ‘Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you.’ He looked Finn’s massive shape up and down. ‘I can’t imagine,’ he murmured, ‘that anyone ever says otherwise.’
Morgan cleared his throat, still unimpressed by our visitor. ‘Finn, who is this?’
‘Monroe!’
‘I got that part,’ he said drily. ‘Who is Monroe?’
‘The lead werewolf. The one from Scotland that I left a message for.’
‘I prefer Alpha,’ Monroe said. He looked up and down the silent street. ‘I see that you wee people have been having some trouble so it’s just as well you called us. It wasn’t easy getting into the city unnoticed with the army around and I suspect that things are only going to get worse. We could feel the magic rippling twenty miles before we saw the city.’ He shook his head, his shaggy red hair ruffling as he did so. ‘What have you lot been up to?’
I popped my head round Morgan’s shoulder. ‘We?’ I asked hopefully. ‘There are more of you?’ Hopefully they’d all be as good-looking as Monroe. Morgan was more than enough for me but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate a bit of eye candy and do some window shopping, while still clinging onto my man.
Monroe gave me a long, slow, easy smile. Then he gave a low whistle. Seemingly from nowhere others appeared, detaching themselves from shadows and from behind cars and low-lying rooftops. I counted a dozen in total. They trooped in behind Monroe and waited for instructions. I was liking the werewolf more and more; I needed minions who behaved like this, too.
‘May we come in? We’ve had a long journey.’
Finn nodded like an eager puppy and stepped aside. Morgan moved as if to enter and then frowned. The hairs on the back of his bare arms seemed to straighten and quiver, and his eyes narrowed to thin blue strips. ‘What is this?’
‘Julie,’ I interjected hastily. ‘She has a barrier in place. She needs to invite you in for you to come inside.’
