Were there more choices than usual, or was seeing it displayed in a different way confusing her?
“We may have gone a bit overboard with the number of dishes we prepared,” Merri Lee said, putting a dish of green beans on the table. “But we wanted enough variety for everyone, and everything here can be eaten as leftovers. Meg, give me the spinach salad and I’ll add the warm bacon dressing and the hard-boiled eggs. Oh, and we have steamed corn on the cob, so make sure you take a piece to try it. Lieutenant Montgomery and Pete have gone to fetch the children. Eve is mashing the potatoes, Miss Twyla is about done with the corn, and Michael and Karl are carving the turkey.”
Simon would have liked to see this carving, but he didn’t ask. He didn’t care about getting in the males’ way, but this seemed like a good time to steer clear of Miss Twyla and Eve.
Montgomery, Pete, and the three human pups arrived, followed by Nathan, Blair, and Henry. Nadine and Chris Fallacaro came out of the kitchen area carrying baskets of muffins and rolls, and a plate with some kind of dense bread.
Nadine pointed to the foods. “Peach muffins, dinner rolls, and zucchini bread. I’m making use of what’s in season.”
Fruit in the muffins sounded good, but vegetables in bread?
Simon looked at Blair and Nathan. They looked at him.
<You distract her, and I’ll give the bread thing a sniff,> Blair said.
<Too late,> Simon said as Michael Debany carried out a large platter piled with meat, including the turkey’s legs, which were the only intact—and recognizable—parts of the bird.
Kowalski came out of the kitchen area carrying two sacks filled with containers of food. “Miss Twyla is sending over some food to Cyrus and his family to keep the peace. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Montgomery came over to them. “Do you want help, Karl?”
“Better if I do it alone, sir.”
Montgomery nodded.
“I’ll walk out with you and make sure Skippy doesn’t ambush you,” Nathan said.
Eve Denby set a big bowl of cooked bread cubes next to the turkey and clapped her hands. “All right, everyone. Grab a plate and help yourself. Anyone shorter than Meg will be helped by an adult.”
Meg and Merri Lee looked at Eve and said, “Hey!”
The rest of the humans laughed. Simon had no idea why.
Merri Lee rolled her eyes. “If that’s the standard you’re using, Meg and everyone exactly her height get to be first in line.”
That brought more laughter. He still didn’t know why this was amusing, but Meg and Merri Lee, with Sam between them, were first to choose food, so he didn’t snarl at anyone. Nathan returned, gave him a nod to indicate that Kowalski—and the food—had escaped Skippy’s notice, and joined the line.
Green bean casserole, broccoli and cheese casserole, potato salad, macaroni salad, and spinach salad; muffins, rolls, and zucchini bread; mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, and gravy; corn on the cob and melted butter. He gave up trying to identify the rest of the food the female pack had made for this meal.
Meg didn’t take more than a spoonful of anything, but neither did the rest of the females. They still had full plates of food. The pups weren’t given as many different foods, but the quantity was still sufficient, even for Sam. As they took their seats at the table, Kowalski returned, and something about the pity in the man’s dark eyes made fur spring up on Simon’s shoulders and back.
“You need to come outside,” Kowalski said quietly when he reached Simon.
Montgomery set his plate on the table. “Is there a problem?”
Kowalski nodded, but he kept his eyes on Simon. “You need to come outside.”
<Simon?> Blair set aside his food. So did Nathan and Henry.
<Wait,> Simon said. <Guard Meg.>
He heard the whimpering before he reached the door. Wolf but not Wolf. When he stepped outside, he understood the pity in Kowalski’s eyes, knew why Montgomery sucked in a breath.
Not human. Not Wolf. Not even that terrible but harmonious blend most of them took when they were stressed or needed aspects of both forms. This was the worst kind of between.
He didn’t want to be left out.
Before he could decide what to do with Skippy, Miss Twyla stepped outside and looked at the whimpering juvenile.
“I’m not having a naked boy sitting at the table, so you’d best get him some clothes,” she said.
“Miss Twyla . . . ,” Simon began at the same time Montgomery said, “Mama.”
She ignored them and pointed at Kowalski. “You run over to the store and get this boy a T-shirt and a pair of those elastic-waist exercise pants you all wear when you’re lifting weights and doing whatever else you do to make those muscles. Should be easy enough to take out a few stitches in the back seam to make room for his tail. Don’t bother with shoes right now.”
Shoes? They didn’t have anything that could accommodate Skippy’s feet. One looked mostly human but furred. The other was a Wolf’s paw with human toes.
“Shirt and pants will be enough,” Miss Twyla continued. “Run along, now. The food is getting cold.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Kowalski ran to the clothing store in the Market Square.
“Crispin, you go on in and make sure everyone gets started.”
Montgomery’s hesitation lasted only a moment. “Yes, Mama.”
“Miss Twyla . . . ,”Simon tried again.
“No.”
The word was said quietly and courteously—and made it clear that there would be no arguing and no discussing.
Miss Twyla gave Simon a long look. “You think I don’t understand what happened here, and why? Trying takes courage. How many of you got it right the first time?”
Most of the terra indigene who tried the form never managed to shift all the way, so they couldn’t pass for human. But they also didn’t try to sit at a table with humans and eat.
“Anyone who has a problem with this is welcome to fix a plate and eat elsewhere,” Miss Twyla said. “And that includes you.”
Stung, he snarled at her—and felt vaguely ashamed for doing it when she folded her skinny arms and just looked at him.
Kowalski returned. “I guessed at sizes. Figured the T-shirt would be okay if it was a little big. It’s hot and the rest of the kids are wearing shorts, so I brought these.”
He’d seen Kowalski and Debany wear shorts like those when they worked out at Run & Thump, the Courtyard’s fitness place.
“Those will work fine,” Miss Twyla said. “Now I need—”
Eve and Nadine poked their heads out the door.
“Twyla, what’s going . . . ?” Eve began.
Simon saw the shock and horror on the two females’ faces. Then those feelings disappeared, in the way a Wolf would disappear behind the mask of looking human. The feelings weren’t gone, just hidden.
Had they hidden feelings that way the first time they’d seen Meg’s scars?
“Need a seam ripper or a small pair of scissors,” Miss Twyla said.
“I have scissors in the mini sewing kit I keep in my purse,” Eve said. “I’ll get them.”