Page 53 of Skulk of Foxes
Monroe frowned in suspicion. ‘The only being capable of such a feat is a vamp—’
His word was lost as Julie herself appeared. She shuffled past me and peered at Monroe, obviously liking what she saw as much as I did. ‘Well, hello, there.’
The werewolf king doffed an invisible hat. ‘I know you,’ he said.
She smiled. ‘You might have seen me on television.’
I waited for the inevitable expression of delight but Monroe just pursed his lips. ‘No. We’ve met before. I was just a bairn so you probably won’t remember me but you came to my uncle’s estate once.’
All at once, Julie’s demeanour changed. She was no longer smiling; in fact, her body language and her expression were icy cold. ‘Oh yes,’ she said. ‘You’re one ofthosewerewolves.’
I glanced at her askance. When she didn’t immediately fess up, I nudged her. ‘Go on.’
She sniffed. ‘I went to the werewolves to petition them for help in dealing with the vampire hunters. They declined – and not very politely, either.’
Monroe shrugged, his muscles rippling as he did so. Mmm. ‘We don’t get involved unless our own livelihoods are threatened.’
Morgan crossed his arms. ‘So why are you here?’
‘Because our own livelihoods are threatened,’ the werewolf answered smoothly. He shot an amused look at me and looked back to Morgan. ‘Don’t worry, mate. I can tell you’ve marked her. She’s all yours.’
Marked me? That had better be a metaphorical mark. Morgan relaxed slightly. I felt rather smug that he was laying claim to me, despite his caveman-like leanings. ‘Actually,’ I said, ‘I’ve marked him.’ I put my arm around Morgan. ‘So hands off.’
Monroe grinned. ‘I don’t swing that way – though I can see the attraction.’
I smirked. ‘He is rather sexy, isn’t he?’
Morgan growled something under his breath. I reckoned he’d been appeased enough. He really didn’t have anything to worry about; the werewolf might be dripping with sex appeal but he was far too cocky for me. I’d strangle him before too long. I had enough cockiness to last a lifetime; I didn’t need others to add to it.
Julie tilted her head. ‘I’m not sure about this,’ she said.
‘We need their help,’ Finn told her.
‘I needed their help before. They declined.’
From the group behind Monroe, there was a growl followed by a deep snarl. I blinked and stared. One of the younger werewolves was sprouting dark fur all over his body. His face was changing shape too, his chin, mouth and nose elongating into what could only be described as a muzzle.
‘The magic,’ Monroe murmured. ‘I strongly suggest you make a decision either way before Phil here becomes fully furry and tries to eat your neighbours.’
We all turned to Julie. Well, everyone else did – I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the Phil the Furry.
‘Fine,’ Julie snapped. ‘You may come in.’
Monroe smiled as if he’d expected nothing less. He stepped across Julie’s threshold and then he was inside.
Chapter Fifteen
If I’d thought Julie’s house was getting crowded with our small group, it was nothing compared to now. Rather than attempt to fit into her kitchen, we headed for the vast living room. I took a couple of minutes to put my jeans back on, not because I was embarrassed by my naked legs but because I knew it would make Morgan feel better. I was getting pretty good at this thoughtfulness lark.
By the time I got downstairs again, Monroe had made himself comfortable in a large armchair. He pointed to a man who looked more like a bear than a wolf with his massive broad shoulders and over-indulgence of facial hair. ‘That’s Malcolm.’ The bear man inclined his head.
Monroe moved on. ‘This is Dwight.’ A smaller, bespectacled man smiled. Monroe shifted his finger, pointing at different werewolves in turn. ‘Enright, Goddard, Matthew, Peterson, William…’
I held up my hand. ‘I’m not going to remember. You might as well stop now.’
Monroe raised an eyebrow. ‘You don’t want to know the names of the people who are here to save you?’
‘You’re not here to save us,’ I pointed out. ‘You’re here to help us save the world. If you snowflakes can’t manage that without formal introductions, you know where the door is.’
