8
It was morning and time to get up, but the room was freezing cold and she was still sleepy, so Jess burrowed back under the covers with just her nose sticking out into fresh air.  She liked the warm, private cave that this made and the illusion of safety it gave her.  She was tired of being touched and then shoved away again.
Someone touched her now.  She could feel Megan pressed up against her with the girl's arm draped across her waist.  Megan's breath warmed the back of her neck and Jess was surprised at how comfortable she felt.  She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched her in so innocent a way or when she’d last been in bed with someone who wasn’t interested in something besides sleep.  Now that she was awake, though, she couldn’t get comfortable again.  Elizabeth must have put them to bed, and the old fox hadn't bothered to undress her.  During the night her dress had gotten rucked up above her waist and Megan lay across the tail, pinning her in place.  She couldn’t smooth it down again without getting out of bed, and she couldn't free herself without waking the girl.  In the end she gave up on getting any more sleep and pushed herself up into a sitting position.  Megan rolled over when she did and blinked up at her, still not entirely awake, but when Jess smiled at her she jumped up and snatched her arm away like she’d been burned.  The wolf was dressed only in her panties and she folded her arms protectively across her breasts.
“I was dreaming of someone else,” she said.
“It’s okay.  It’s better than waking up cold, isn't it?” Jess said.
Megan slunk out of bed, dragging the top blanket with her.  She circled the bed and then squatted to look under it, hunting for her clothes, but Elizabeth had taken those away.  The dress that she'd been working on was finished and it hung on a  peg near the fireplace.  Megan frowned and prodded at it with a finger, but it was all she had to wear.
“Will you let me treat you to some breakfast?” Jess said.
“If you like.  I’m starving,” Megan said.
Megan slipped the dress on over her head, and sat down on the edge of the bed to lace up her sandals.  Jess leaned across the bed to pull her tail through the flap at the back, and Megan jumped, but she didn’t pull away.
“We’ll try another part of the city this morning.  Maybe we can find a quieter place to eat,” Jess said.
“I didn’t mind.  It’s nice to think that someone actually cares,” Megan said. 
“Yes, isn't it.  If they really do,” said Jess.
She found Megan’s collar lying on the floor next to the bed and fastened it around the girl’s neck.  Megan grimaced at the touch of the leather, and Jess gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Why not?  I could hear you and that skunk girl all the way downstairs.  I think the whole House could.  She and that lady of hers are kind of weird, but I don’t think they mean any harm,” Megan said.
“Nobody ever means any harm.  You'll find that doesn't matter,” Jess said.
When Megan was decent, she got up and spun around to to get a look at herself in the mirror.  This only succeeded in getting her dress tangled around her legs.  She tugged at the heavy, slightly stretchy cloth and scratched at the collar.
“If you chase them away, then what will you do?  Too much pessimism is bad for you,” Megan said.
“Not when it's what keeps you alive,” Jess said.
She dug her sandals out from under the bed and counted the coins in her pocket again.  She had spent too much yesterday, and she would likely spend as much today, but that couldn’t be helped.  While Megan was her responsibility, she was determined that the girl would be as comfortable as possible.
Downstairs, the House was quiet and still.  It was open to the public as early as seven o’clock in the morning, but by that time all of the decent people in the city were at work and none of the rich ones were sober yet.  The only sounds were the ticking of the clock over the bar, and from the street merchants outside.  There were always a few of them out, even in the middle of the night, and Jess was convinced that it would take an act of God to stop them. She unlocked the front door to let them out and she was careful to lock it again while Megan stamped her feet on the icy sidewalk.
“They let you have a key, and you’re still here?  I still haven’t made up my mind whether you’re being brave or stupid,” Megan said.
“I haven’t decided that, either,” Jess said.
They walked fast to wake themselves up and stayed huddled close together to keep themselves warm, though with Megan’s longer legs it was all Jess could do to keep up with her.  It also meant that Jess, who was a full foot shorter that her charge, felt half crushed with Megan’s arm around her shoulders, but she couldn’t find the wind to complain.  She simply resolved to buy the girl a coat after breakfast.  As long as Jess could keep her from running away again, she thought she might have just enough money to cover both.
At the end of the street Jess had to resort to pulling on the girl with all of her strength to get her to round the corner, because Megan was too busy looking around to pay attention to where they were going.  Jess was so intent on this manuever that she didn’t see the fox in their path until they slammed into him.  Megan kept her balance, and Jess only saved herself from falling by latching on to the girl’s arm, but he fox landed in a snowdrift and hit his head on the side of the House.  Jess pulled free of Megan’s arm and squatted down next to him to help him up.  When she saw who it was, she wished she hadn’t.  One of the things that made her so popular was that she could always remember her clients.  Not that there was any great trick to recognizing a male who had been on top of her only yesterday, but this one stood out particularly clear in her memory.  She yanked Richard to his feet and swatted the snow off of the backs of his legs with more force than neccessary.
“The House is open, but most of the girls are still asleep.  You might have better luck this afternoon,” she said.
“I came to see you,” Richard said.
He put his hand in his pocket, but she grabbed his arm to stop him before he could take any money out.
“I’m off for the rest of the week, and I intend to enjoy my vacation, but there are plenty of girls in the House who are just as good as I am, so you don’t have to worry about that.  Satisfaction is guaranteed,” she said.
It was an effort not to spit the last three words.  He was staring at her breasts again, which wasn’t doing anything to help her temper.
“I didn’t come for that.  If you'll let me, I'd like to take you out to breakfast,” he said.
“Why?” she said.
He gaped at her for a moment with his jaw hanging slack, which made him look  more foolish than she already though he was.  She smirked at him and pushed his mouth shut with a finger.
“I don’t date clients,” she said.
“I’ll pay for everything.  You aren’t like any other girl I’ve ever met.  Just give me a chance,” he said.
“Now there’s an outright lie.  You meet girls just like mevery every day, on every street corner.  Your father makes sure of that,” said Jess.
“If you’re going to fight, it might be nice if you could do so someplace warm,” said Megan.
Jess looked over at the girl, who stood shivering the cold wind, and she felt ashamed of herself.  The child didn't deserve to suffer for her pride.
“I don’t date anyone who has paid money to fuck me, but if you’re paying, I suppose you get to decide where we’re going,” she said.
“There’s Truman’s.  The food is good there and nobody cares who you are,” he said.
“That’s because it’s a bar.  There’s usually so much smoke in the air you can barely see your table, never mind anyone around you.  She says yes, and that’s the best you can do?” Megan said.
“It’s fine.  I wouldn’t know what to do with myself anywhere the meal costs more than I do,” Jess said.
She ignored the hand Richard held out to her and huddled up with Megan again, and wrapped both arms around Megan’s middle to warm as much of her as possible.  Richard gave her a hurt look, but turned and started off down the road with a flip of his tail.
They followed the same road for three blocks, going out towards the richer parts of the city.  As they went, the buildings got newer and better cared for and there weren’t so many street vendors.  They weren't allowed to go where they could really make a living, for fear they might annoy someone important.  Jess could feel Megan grow tense every time they passed anyone in the street who was better dressed than they were and the girl would whimper a little if anyone looked their way.  She didn’t like it much, either and she kept her face turned away from them as much as possible.  If they did get in trouble it was possible that the fox would get them out of it, but she didn't want to trust him and he would be certain to hold it over them.
Richard ducked down a narrow alley that wasn’t obvious from the road.  It ran between an empty warehouse and what had been a tanner’s shop, and the mouth of the alley was half hidden behind piles of crates.  The bar was halfway back, hidden away in what had been a guardhouse. They paused at the alley mouth, and Jess considered just pushing Megan past it and going back to her original plan, but they were in too deep now.
The alley was dimly lit and they had to turn and walk sideways to keep from touching the walls. but it had been swept clean of snow and it was probably one of the safest spots in the city.  Nobody was going to get robbed in front of Truman’s, not while Marcus Keppler still ate there every day.  What he might do to them, if he was there, was a different matter entirely, but Jess was almost certain that their collars would keep them safe.  There was also Richard’s apparent infatuation with her, although that wasn’t the most comfortable of thoughts.  He was waiting for them by the bar with a smug expression, and his hand on the doorknob.
“You don’t need to look so nervous.  You girls aren’t the only ones who sleep in every morning, you know.  We ought to have the place to ourselves,” he said.
“That’s convienient,” Jess said.
She smiled back at him but she squeezed closer to Megan, suddenly grateful to have the big wolf with her for her own sake as well.
Like everyone else in the city, Jess had heard plenty of stories about Truman's.  She suspected that most of them weren’t true, but when Richard opened the door she took a deep breath and went in quickly, crouching defensively as she passed through the door.  Megan walked in with her back straight and her teeth slightly bared.
The bar was as dimly lit as the alley in front of it and the air was full of smoke.  Jess was convinced that bar owners all over the city burned whole packs of cigarettes in the back, jus to keep up the atmosphere.  The red plush carpet on the floor felt stiff and little puffs of ash rose up with every step.  There was a ring of low wooden tables all around a great open circle in the middle of the floor, each with several chairs stacked on top.  At the far end of the room there was a set of wide metal doors which looked like they were designed to swing inward at a push.  Both doors had a round glass window set at eye level, and, from the smells and steam leaking out from between the cracks, Jess guessed they led into the kitchen.
There weren’t any booths, but there were wooden L-shaped partitions sticking out from various places along the walls that a regular table could be hidden behind.  Richard shoved a table, chairs and all, behind the nearest one whileshouting, at the same time, for someone to come out and serve them.  There was a small brass bell set on the top of the divider and he banged on that with his hand for emphasis.
“There’s no need to be rude,” Jess said.
“Oh, I don’t think they mind.  This is what the bells are here for, after all.  In fact, I think they’re probably grateful.  If you dealt with servants as much as I do, you would understand that it’s always easier when you talk to them on a level that they can understand.,” Richard said.
He banged his hand on the bell again and there was an answering clatter from inside the kitchen.  The doors slammed open and a cloud of steam rolled out, followed by a fox dressed all in white.  He had a laden tray balanced on one arm and the white towel, which had always seemed to Jess to be as much a badge of membership as a way of keeping the tables clean, over the other.  But he walked awkwardly and it was obvious that he didn’t have any practice in carrying heavy platters of food.  The drinks spilled and swirled around on the top of the tray and it was more luck than skill that kept him from dropping everything.  By the time he was halfway across the room, Jess was no longer able to trust herself and she had to clamp a hand over her mouth and turn away before she burst out laughing.  Whatever reason Marcus Keppler had for dresssing up as a waiter, he wasn't going to forgive her for laughing at him.
“Tell me, honestly now. Was it your father’s idea for you to bring me here?” she said.
It was obvious from the way his mouth was hanging open that he was as surprised to see his father as she was.  His ears had flattened back against his head, but his tail had betrayed him and curled up between his legs.  Not that she could laugh at him for that, when she was almost as scared as he was.
“What? No.  He wasn’t supposed to be here until after lunch.  The old son of a bitch just can’t leave me alone,” Richard said.
“He is famous for having his fingers in everything and meddling with people's lives.  Why should you be any different than the rest of us?” Jess said.
Marcus slapped the tray down on the table, splashing cold tea across the tabletop and onto the floor.  Jess twitched the tail of her dress out of the way in time to avoid getting wet, but she had to twist her whole body around to avoid the food that scattered out after the tea.  That brought her face to face with Marcus Keppler, who bared his teeth at her.  After a moment of shock, she realized he was actually smiling at her so she gave him a smile in return, though this time she was careful to keep her teeth hidden.
“Good morning, Miss Bryar.  Please sit down and help yourself to some breakfast.  Your lovely student is welcome, too, and I’ll have some more drinks brought out shortly,” Marcus said.
He dabbed at the sodden table with his white towel, but it was too thin to do much more than spread the damp around.
“You shouldn’t be here.  You were supposed to go to church this morning, to make Confession.  What are you trying to do to me?” Richard said.
He hadn’t moved since his father had come in but his hands were balled in fists and the fur on the back of his neck stood up straight, which only made him look even younger.
“I don’t want anything.  I saw you sneak out of the house this morning and I knew you were going to try to con Miss Bryar here into having breakfast with you.  I thought I'd lend a hand,” Marcus said.
“You’re just here because you wanted to laugh at me,” said Richard.
“No, I also came to apologize to her for having to put up with you.  Some people actually have to work for a living and she has more important things to worry about than some puppy fawning all over her,” Marcus said.
“As if you know anything about working.  It was always Aunt Elsa who did everything.  You just took everything for yourself after she died,” Richard said.
Marcus put a hand on Richard’s shoulder and squeezed until the younger fox groaned with pain.
“Private matters should be kept at home.  Do I need to tell you again?  We will discuss this later,” he said.
Without letting go of Richard’s shoulder, he pulled a chair off of the table and set it on the floor.  Richard sat down without a word and looked down at the floor.
“I apologize for my son.  I did my best to instill some manners in the boy, but I’m afraid that my sister spoiled him,” Marcus said.
“I was on my to breakfast, anyway,” Jess said.
Marcus wasn’t really listening to her, though.  All of his atteniton was on Megan, who had taken shelter directly behind Jess.  Jess. didn’t dare turn her back to him, but she reached back and took Megan’s hand to comfort her.
“It’s lucky for him that you are here and that you’ve brought your lovely student along with you.  She only spent one night at the house before she came to you, but every day since then has been all the gloomier for her absence,” Marcus said.
He reached over Jessamine's head to stroke Megan’s cheek and he drew his fingers down across to cup her muzzle in his hand.  Megan jerked her head away from him and slapped his hand away.
“Is that what you think?  Or are you just unhappy because the only person you have to torture now is your craven son?” Megan said.
Marcus grabbed her muzzle again and he squeezed until Jess could hear the girl’s teeth grinding together.  He pushed Megan back against the wooden divider and kept pushing until she was bent backwards over the top of it.  He ran his hand up the side of her body and tugged the neck of her dress down, leaving her throat exposed.  As he did, he leaned forward until his muzzle was less than an inch away from the tops of Megan’s breasts.
“She isn’t a very fast learner, is she?” he said.
Megan raised her hand to hit him again, but Jess acted faster.  She kicked Marcus in the back of his left knee and she shoved him away from Megan as he stumbled.  His chin hit the top of the divider as he went down and she couldn't resist the the urge to kick him again when he hit the floor.  Then she took Megan by the hand and led her to the far side of the room, putting as many tables between them and Marcus as she could.
“You need to mind your manners, sir.  She's still half wild, and she’s inclined to bite when she gets threatened, and I hope she never changes,” Jess said.
Marcus spat a mouthful of blood onto the carpet and managed to make it up onto his knees, though he had to hold on to the table while he steadied himself.
“Words would have worked just as well,” he said.
“Not for you, they don’t.  You never listen to a word anyone says until after you’ve been bitten, and then you get angry and blame them,” Richard said.
He helped Marcus to his feet and put his father’s arm around his neck so that Marcus couldn’t go anywhere without taking him along.  It was plain that Marcus wasn't hurt enough to need the help, and Jess couldn't see why he humored his son so.  She kept her distance anyway and stayed between him and Megan.
“I still need you, so I’m going to give you another chance.  That’s your good luck, little girl,” Marcus said.
“I’ll keep that in mind.  But a sore jaw is better than having your throat torn out, don't you think?” Jess said.
“She did you a favor.  Can’t you ever be grateful?” Richard said.
Still holding on to his father, he gave them an apologetic smile and edged towards the door.
“Eat what you want, and have them send the bill to me.  I can pay.  And maybe we can try again sometime?” he said.
Marcus sneered and slapped Richard across the back of the head with his fist.
“Don’t be pathetic,” he said.
They were through the door before she had to answer, and Jess felt limp with relief.
“Next time, you should aim a little higher.  Every female in Jaspertree would thank you for it,” said Megan.
She was shaking and her clothes were still in disarray, but she wiped her eyes and when Jess looked up at her she bared a fang.
“I wouldn’t touch him, not for all the gold in the Triple Cities.  Let’s go find breakfast somewhere else,” Jess said.