Monstrous Races by K. Jewell Read Free Book Online Page A

together and cracked his knuckles. ‘Now my girl, why don’t you make some tea, and then we’ll discuss what you’re really doing with my son.’
    Elli made the tea as slowly as she could, willing Rufus to get his backside downstairs and talk with them. The kitchen was light and spacious, and she made a large bowl of tea for Max and a cup for her. With no way of stalling any longer she carried them in and sat down at the edge of the seat. He thanked her and looked at her closely, making no sound at all. Finally she broke, unable to take the silence any more. ‘We’ve left the Dogheadhood...for an adventure. I wanted to see more of the world and Rufus is my best friend, so he agreed to take me.’ Still nothing, and the silence sat between them like a flatulent guest.
    ‘Why?’ he asked eventually , not taking his gaze from hers. ‘Now why would he do that?’
    ‘We, well Alpha Sawyre I mean...’ She sat perched on the very edge of the seat now. ‘Can I wait for Rufus? He’ll tell you much better than I can.’ Max looked away from her.
    ‘No problem,’ he said, picking up the bowl and bringing it to his lips. ‘But you need to understand that he is my son. If he’s in some kind of trouble I want to know everything. And one of you will tell me.’ He sipped the tea and looked up. ‘And you’re going to have to learn how to make decent tea if you’ll be staying with us.'
    Later on Max showed her to her room, and she marvelled at the shower and heated pump device that she could see from the window.
    ‘But you have your own shower with heat,’ she said. ‘In the garden. Just for you.’
    ‘Yes I do,’ he answered, ‘I believe in being very clean. There’s fresh soap in there every day, and the toilet cubicles are next to it, it means they’re hotter in winter.’ She looked out at the black box that contained a small burning fire. ‘I lit it a while ago so the water should be nice and hot now, I take it you know how to work a heating valve?’
    She nodded and looked around at her room; it was three times as big as her room at the Dogheadhood and her bed was huge, covered in blankets that had been freshly aired. ‘Thank you Sir, I’m really very grateful,’ she said, meaning it.
    ‘Don’t mention it, and none of this Sir business. Just call me Max. After all, you’re part of the family now,’ he said, grinning. He exhaled slowly, looking back at the door. ‘Some things never change I see. Rufus is still a lazy toad, I thought that at least all those years at the Dogheadhood would teach him how to get out of bed in the morning.’
    ‘If you don’t mind Max,’ she said smiling, ‘I know a brilliant way to get him up that he just loves.’
    Rufus walked into the main room shortly afterwards, his wet footprints absorbed into the carpeted floor. He was drying the fur on his head with a towel, and was dressed in clean, smart clothes. ‘They still fit look,’ he said, obviously pleased with himself. ‘The trousers are a bit tighter than I remember, but not bad at all.’ He crashed down into an armchair and looked across at them both. ‘Another lovely walk-up call from Elli then, the bump on my head is really hurting now,’ he moaned, delicately touching the protrusion at the top of his head. ‘Please remember there are beams above the bed next time. Any chance of some food?’ he asked, rubbing the inside of his ears with the towel. Max grimaced and looked at the watery prints.
    ‘Well, firstly you’ll need to clear them up. Then you’ll wash that towel and hang it out to dry. Then you can make some food for us all, and clean up after yourself. And after that,’ he said, leaning in closer, ‘you can tell me exactly what's going on.’
     
    Max stared at the fyrestone for a long, long time, turning it around in his hands and watching how the tiny sparks of light circled and danced around it; he could see the milky opal and blue streams of colour gently move around each other, reflected