Blood Trail

sheep smelled like -
    and very strongly of well, wer. It wasn't an unpleasant combination, but it was certainly pungent.
    Housework didn't seem to be high on the list of wer priorities. That was fine with Vicki, it wasn't one of her top ten ways to spend time either. Her mother, however, would no doubt have fits at the tufts of hair piled up in every available nook and cranny.

    Of course, my mother would no doubt have fits at this entire situation ...

    Peter stood up and dangled a squirming Shadow at shoulder level - front paws in his left hand, rear paws in his right - deftly keeping the pup's teeth away from the more sensitive, protruding, areas of his anatomy.

    ... so it's probably a good thing she isn't here.

    Just as she was beginning to wonder if she shouldn't bring up the reason for her visit, Stuart cleared his throat. Peter released Shadow, smiled a welcome at Vicki and Henry, changed, and curled up on the floor beside his twin. Shadow gave one last excited bark and went over to collapse, panting, on his mother's feet. Everyone else, the two visitors included, turned to face Stuart expectantly.

    And all he did was clear his throat. Vicki was impressed again. If he could bottle that he could make a fortune.

    "Henry assures us that you can be trusted, Ms. Nelson, Vicki." His eyes were a pale Husky blue, startlingly light under heavy black brows. "I'm sure you realize that things would get very unpleasant for us if the world knew we existed?"

    "I realize." And she did, which was why she decided not to be insulted at the question.
    "Although someone obviously knows."

    "Yes." How a word that was mostly sibilants could be growled Vicki had no idea. But it was.
    "There are three humans in this territory who know of the pack. An elderly doctor in London, the local game warden, and Colin's partner."

    "Colin the police officer." It wasn't really a question. A werewolf on the London Police Force was a phenomenon Vicki was unlikely to forget. She pulled a notebook and a pen from the depths of her purse. "The twins - Rose and Peter, that is - mentioned him."

    Donald's expression seemed more confused than proud. "My oldest son. He's the first of us to hold what you could call a job."

    "The first to finish high school," Nadine said. At Vicki's expression, she added, "Generally we find school very ... stressful. Most of us leave as soon as we can." Her lips twisted up into what Vicki could only assume was a smile. "Trouble is, they're making it harder to leave at the same time they're making it harder to stay."

    "The world is becoming smaller," Henry said quietly. "The wer are being forced to integrate.
    Sooner or later, they'll be discovered." He had no doubt as to how his mortal brethren would treat the wer; they'd be considered animals if they were allowed to live at all. When so small a thing as skin color made so large a difference, what chance did the wer have?

    Vicki was thinking much the same thing. "Well," her tone brooked no argument, "let's just hope it's later. I personally am amazed you've managed to keep the list down to three."

    Stuart shrugged, muscles rippling under the thick mat of black hair that covered his chest.
    "We keep to ourselves and humans are very good at believing what they wish to believe."

    "And seeing what they wish to see," Donald added, the skin around his eyes crinkled with amusement.

    "Or not seeing," Marie put in with a giggle.

    The assembled wer nodded in agreement - regardless of shape - all save Shadow, who had fallen asleep, chin pillowed on his mother's bare instep.

    "What about those who might suspect what you are?" Vicki asked. Murderers were almost always known to the victim. The times they weren't were usually the cases that never got solved.

    "There aren't any."

    "I beg your pardon?"

    "There aren't any," Stuart repeated.

    He obviously believed what he said, but Vicki thought he was living in a dream world. A noise from the right pulled her gaze down to the two wer on the floor. Cloud looked as though she wanted to disagree. Or maybe she wants to go walkies. How the hell can I tell?

    "You do have contact with humans. The younger ones, at least, on a regular basis." Vicki's gesture covered both sets of twins. "What about other kids at school? Teachers?"

    "We don't change at school, " Marie protested.

    Jennifer's head bobbed in support, red hair flying. "We can't change when we're dressed."

    "And as you're dressed at school, you can't change at school?"