Page 54 of The Wolf Professor

“Don’t intellectualize all this too much, mate. You need to let your true nature out. It will do more harm if you repress it.”

Max looked at him uncertainly. But seeing Benjy, his relaxed energy, his easy smile, his vibrant eyes, he had to wonder…

Benjy was hardly what you’d call dangerous. He was affable, big-hearted. And most definitely in touch with his wolf, comfortable with its presence. It was kind of a relief to know that could happen, even though Max wasn’t willing to say that aloud.

As they left the café, Benjy gave him a hug and a slap on the back and Max managed not to check if he’d left oil marks on his jacket.

Then Benjy turned toward the smog of East Motham and Max headed for leafy Motham Hill.

He needed to go home and read up on General Oliver Felcin.

And make sense of where he came from.

CHAPTER 21

The Tween Library was set back in manicured lawns surrounded by flower beds that in summer months overflowed with lavender, roses, and foxgloves.

Right now, with the beds lying fallow, there was a huge Christmas tree set up instead, and a sign that read, “Gift a book for charity.” There was a box underneath.

Yeah,a human charity only, no doubt.

She grimaced when she noticed another sign outside the entrance featuring a black silhouette of a monster on a bright yellow background, a compilation of horns and wings and claws that actually didn’t resemble any exact species. There was a black diagonal line through the image.

No monsters. Not in Tween Library.

Yep, it sure helped to keep monsters uneducated, in the harness and power of humans, Charlie thought with a stab of anger.

Thank the goddess that was changing, gradually. Just outside the city gates of Motham sat the three-story Westerly Bookshop, which was run by a human. Charlie had gotten a lot of her texts for her master’s there, and it was always bustling and full of monsters—and these days, a fair number of humans too.

And Motham Library was due for expansion, she’d heard on the grapevine.

“Take that, Tween,” Charlie said under her breath. The humans here could pretend they lived in a bubble, but times were changing whether they liked it or not. One day, monsters in the valley would have equality, and be free to live wherever they chose without impunity.

To mate and marry humans without shame or fear of retribution.

The thought improved her mood no end. Which was a good thing, because now she had to steel herself to see her mom.

Inside, Shirley Sullivan sat at the front desk sorting through returned books and checking them off on her computer.

She jumped up when she saw Charlie. “Oh darling, you’re home. I’ve been so worried about you.”

After a hug, she asked hopefully, “Are you back for good?”

Charlie shook her head. “Only for a few days. I have some work to do, and just wondered if I could book a study room.”

Her mom frowned. “What kind of work?”

“Collating notes—for Max.”

“That wolf.”

“Yes Mom, that wolfProfessor. And incidentally, have you got a copy of his last book in here yet?”

“Of course not,” her mom hissed, strutting back behind her desk. “You know we don’t carry… that kind of stuff.”

“Books written by monsters, you mean,” Charlie said loudly.

Her mom glanced around anxiously.

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