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The house that Tom entered last week belongs to Susan, the human assistant of Lowell Rhombeck, who is not only the CEO of the Nubilus Corporation but the leader of the Talbot City werewolf pack.
Tom isn’t surprised that Rhombeck would use Susan’s living room as a safe place to talk—but he does look awfully at home there . . .
I noticed a framed photo on the mantel of Susan, in winter gear, with her arms around a familiar-looking wolf. Both were smiling.
I’ll bet some of her human guests thought he was a husky.
Rhombeck cleared his throat and leaned forward. “I need you to do something for me,” he said.
“Tell me,” I said.
“I need you to convince Bryan to step in as my replacement.”
Not what I was expecting.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because he’s being stupid,” Susan said from the doorway.
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Yes, Susan is telling her boss the powerful werewolf that he’s making a mistake. It’s possible Susan is the scariest person in this story, with the possible exception of Merrock, who may have a tad too much cultural respect for Rhombeck’s position in the pack to be quite that blunt.
I like Susan.
Earful of Cider 
I am very inclined to like Susan too. Nice dialogue and dynamics, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Kim. 🙂
I need to know if he’s being stupid in selecting Bryan as his replacement or if he’s being stupid in wanting to (or thinking he needs to) step down. I need to know and I need to know now!
A bit of both, really. 😀
I like Susan too. And I love Huskies, so I can totally relate to faking it with a wolf. And I do wonder exactly what she thinks is stupid. Hopefully you’ll enlighten us next week. 🙂
I don’t know if the two look that much alike, really, but I figured the usual assumption would be that a sane person wouldn’t be hugging a wolf. 😀
I’ll try, though I don’t want to give too much away. 🙂 Mostly, Rhombeck is panicking. 🙂
I had a husky years ago and quite a few people asked if he was a wolf. I thought he was much too small (a mere 80 lbs) and silly to seem very wolf-like, but obviously others didn’t agree.
I think huskies look very much like winter wolves, but in summer, wolves look ridiculous in an unphotogenic ratty way. 😀
That pretty well sums it up!
Nice snippet … I’d be probably guilty as charged not “seeing” the difference 🙂
Thanks, Iris. 🙂
Yeah, the normal assumption wouldn’t be “wolf”. 😀
Nice photo, Sarah, and I wonder what he was thinking when he saw Susan in the photo smiling with the other wolf…?
He was thinking that Rhombeck and his assistant must know each other pretty welll. 😉
Love this snippet. Well flowing dialogue, and I liked Susan! 😀
Thanks, Amy! 🙂
She could always tell people he was a husky wolf-dog… I know someone with one, and he’s huge.
I like Susan too. Sass is always fun!
I think she’d bother explaining. And sass is really fun to write (as you know). 😀
Very intriguing. So who is that wolf in the pic? Rhombeck or some rival? I like Susan, seems to have some (intimate?) familiarity with her boss.
It is Rhombeck. And you may be right, Chelle. 🙂
All of the above, dear writer. I agree with Chelle that Susan is or has been intimate with the boss. Super cool story.
You are very perceptive, Charmaine.
Thanks! 🙂
I like Susan too – more Susan! It’s so much fun every week to get different glimpses of the world our Tom inhabits. Excellent excerpt!
There’s a lot more Susan in later chapters. 🙂
Thanks, Veronica!
Yep, being hopelessly human, I’d think it was a Husky, too. 🙂 Sarah, you’re writing is so smooth. The dialogue simply flows, and the details you infuse into it are seamless. Great snippet. 🙂
Thanks, Teresa!
I now know that adult wolves don’t have blue eyes, and they’re relatively knock-kneed under all that fur, but otherwise, I couldn’t tell, either. 😀
She’s got a lot of guts to say that about a werewolf! I’ve known most dog breed by sight since I was eight years old, but I always have problems distinguishing Huskies and Malamutes. Sometimes wolves or wolf hybrids look awfully similar too.
He’s probably used to it by now, Carrie-Anne. 😀
I can tell Chihauhaus from Great Danes with accuracy. All other breeds are guesses. 😉
Love the banter. Had to chuckle when as Susan’s chimed in with the last line. 🙂
Thanks, Karen. 🙂
Susan calls it like she sees it.
I like Susan too. In fact, I like the whole story so far.
Thanks, Elaine! 🙂
A smiling wolf … that’s the image that stays with me.
Despite having lived in the wilderness for 28 years in my youth, I only saw one wolf in the wild, and I killed it. Ran over it, though I, too, thought it was a husky or similar dog. I went back to see it if was in pain (no, dead) and saw three pairs of dark eyes staring at me from the forest across the gravel road. Uh oh …
Oh, dear. Sounds like the second chapter of a Stephen King novel . . .
Thought he was a huskie, eh? Well… I guess they all look alike to us. Neat little snippet, Sarah. Crisp prose always makes me happy.
Hum, new turn of event? I wonder who is being stupid, Rhombeck or Bryan?
I’m not sure exactly how to take Susan yet, but I’m liking what I see of her. It would be interesting to see WHY Rhombeck wants Bryan as his replacement though
Good! Thanks, Eden.
I did as much as I could in ten sentences. 🙂
Better late than never here!
“Because he’s being stupid.” LOL! That line is perfect. Though now I want to know WHY he’s being stupid, or what about. I like her already. The part about him guessing the tourists might think the wolf was a husky is a neat added bit, I liked that. Good snippet.