Lonely Monsters

twenty

I had the shabby little kitchen table covered with a table cloth, a plate of bread, and the multiple mugs ready for coffee. I didn't have a coffee machine, I had a metal strainer, a ceramic pot and a kettle and went to work. As I started spooning coffee into the pot, Richard put up a hand.

"Do you have decaf or something that isn't....?" I started, scratching the back of his neck with one hand while the other fixed the buttons on his shirt. "so strong?"

"I have tea. Black, white, chamomile, green, mint and.... some fruity stuff." I said, putting the coffee tin on the counter.

Richard reached over me, leaning in close, to pull a few small boxes over the shelf. He brought one box to his nose, then another. After doing this process a few times, he held out a box to me.

"This stuff." he said, "And we don't need too many cups--"

"Then since the people in the house aren't having coffee, what about the guys outside?" I said, putting the tea bags into the various mugs. "Why don't they want coffee?"

Another figure hovered over me in my tiny kitchen. I grumbled and shimmied around them to get to the more open area near the table.

"The Alpha has a big meeting tomorrow. Early," Boss said, snagging the mugs of coffee and moving to the door, "They boys will be grateful for this, Miss Amana."

I poured hot water in the mugs, set them on the table and pulled the chairs up. There were silverware, but I paused, holding the spoons. ".....Does silver hurt werewolves?" I turned, nervous to look at Richard. He looked confused, then I held up the spoons for him to see. "Am I going to accidentally poison someone?"

I picked up a spoon from the counter, showed it to me, then put it in his mouth. I sighed, then went back to setting the tiny table. I scurried across the apartment, moving to me room to see how the boys were.

They were sitting in front of the bathroom, Alex sitting between them as they stared up at the door.

".....Um....?" I started, standing to calm my heart that was running rampant in my chest. Daniel looked up at me, frowning. "....Is she... Alright?"

"....Mom stopped crying now." Vincent said, gently petting Alex. The tom puffed up his coat, and purred loudly.

I leaned over them and knocked. "Hey.... Not to rush you... But I'm coming in, okay?" My doors, aside from the one that lead into the shop, did not lock. They didn't have any. I reached for the knob and began turning it slowly.

"No!" The sharpness in ehr tone made me freeze.

I gnawed on my lower lip, then looked at the boys as they looked down at me. "....I put out some sweet breads... Go ask Richard if you can have one."

"One?" Vincent asked.

"One each, but we're gonna be quiet okay? Since we're having the Alpha over?" I reached down as they stood up, rubbing their heads. Daniel didn't flinch from my hand like he had earlier that day. "We all gotta behave, yeah?"

"You too?" Daniel shot me a look.

"Oh yeah, me too." I smirked, "They think I'm a big bad Rogue too."

Vincent let out a tiny gasp. So I broke out into a smile that I hoped looked friendly, "So if A big bad Rogue like me can make friends with pack wolves, I think itty bitty Rogues like you can too."

I felt the knob turn in my hands and I saw a copper-brown eye looking at me. "Do you promise we'll be safe."

I caught the smell off her hair and made a face. I motioned to Daniel and he grabbed his brother's hand to drag him to the kitchen.