Werehuman

Change of Command

The sun was full in our faces when I first stirred. We hadn't had a particularly long night, but it had been hard and exhausting all the same. When I moved, the other three woke up, opening their eyes blearily.

"That was the best sleep I've had in years," Brian yawned. "I thought I would hate it. Wolves may have hit on something here." He nestled further. "It's comforting."

"I think we have more wolf instincts that we know what to do with," Katie agreed. She stretched her toes against my leg. "Conor's a wolf first. Do you think if I helped, Mel would cook us breakfast?"

"I'd help too," Aidan offered, but closed his eyes.

I shimmied out of the bed, rolling my shoulders. I didn't smell any breakfast, but I was sure that Mel would cook if I asked. I didn't want to impose this wolf pack any more than we already had.

"Let me find her and ask," I said. "I don't know if we can support eight werewolves at the dinner table. There's a shower around the corner if any of you want."

"With soap," Katie added cheerfully.

I slipped out of the room and up the stairs. No one else was moving, at least, not from the guest room or Susie's room. Mel was in the kitchen, holding a mug of coffee. The bruising on her face was fading, to my relief.

"How's Susie Lynn?" I asked.

"Her fever broke this morning," she said. "The bite looks like it's healing. I don't know whether to be relieved or heartbroken."

"I'm so sorry, Mel," I repeated.

She gave a sigh and opened the fridge, looking inside for a while before pulling out eggs.

"Based on Katie's reaction, I doubt your new pack eats fruit," she said. "Eggs and ham should be all right surely."

"I can help," I promised. "And Katie said she'd help too. "

"Conor, I had four brothers. As impressive as werewolves are, they can't out-eat my brothers. I'll be fine. Do they drink coffee?"

"They might?" I shrugged. I didn't like how coffee made me feel. But if they had grown up human, perhaps the others did.

"Will you grab some folding chairs from the coat closet? Thank you."

Katie came up the stairs as I pulled out the extra chairs we had. She grabbed two of them as I wrestled the other four from behind the coats and vacuum cleaner. Brian and Aidan were the next to emerge, though they smelled like my soap.

"I haven't showered in years," Aidan remarked, watching the happenings in the kitchen. "A bed and a shower. I've dreamed of this day."

"You have small dreams," Mel remarked from the stove. "Conor, can you go check to see if we have any more eggs?"

"Where?" Brian questioned.

"The chicken coop," I replied. "You can come with, provided you don't eat any chickens."

"We've lost enough for one week," Mel agreed. "Katie, do you know how to juice oranges?"

"No ma'am," Katie answered.

Both Aidan and Brian followed me out of the house. Brian had seen our farm briefly, but it had been quite dark when Aidan had arrived.

"This is what we need," Brian mused. "We need a little farm with some cows and chickens and a roof over our heads. Something to do with our days."

"Brian, you don't usually get out of bed before noon," Aidan laughed.

"But I could if I had something to do."