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"It's voluntary," Claire said "Is that okay?"

"Voluntary?" The won language "Well, I suppose" She shook her head, clearly thinking Claire was mental, and turned her smile on Shane "And you, honey?"

"Collins," he said "Shane Collins"

She pulled out his card, and up went the eyebrows again "You are definitely not paid up, Mr Collins In fact, you're sixty days behind Again"

"I've been busy" He didn't crack a smile Neither did she

She sta on it, and returned it to the file, then handed theh the door," she said "Do you want to be in the rooether or separately?"

"Together," they chorused, and looked at each other Claire couldn't help a bit of a smirk, and Shane rolled his eyes "She's kind of a coward," he said "Faints at the sight of blood"

"Oh, please," Claire said with a sigh "That does describe one of us, though"

The receptionist, for all her motherly looks, clearly wasn't syht There are two chairs in there I'll get an attendant for you"

"Yeah, about thatCould you get us a hu my blood and I hear his stomach rumble"

Claire punched hiave the receptionist a sunny sed him toward the door that had been indicated "Really," she said to hi?"

"Kinda" He shrugged, then opened the door and held it for her "Ladies first"

"I' to think you are a scaredy-cat"

"No, I'lance, and with a curious seriousness said, "I'd go first in any fight, for you"

Shane had always been so protective, but noas deliberate, a way for hiet the best of him Even at his worst he hadn't hurt her, but he'd coered between them like a shadow

"Shane," she said, and paused to look hiht beside you Not behind you"

He sain "I'd still jump in front of the first bullet Hope you're okay with that"

She shouldn't have been, really, but the thought, and the eave her another little flush of warmth as she walked into the room Like the rest of the human side of the collection center, the space felt war chairs were leather, or so so acoustic and soft, and Claire relaxed in the chair as Shane wriggled around in his

He went very still as the door opened and their attendant stepped inside

"No way," Claire said First, their attendant was a va a white lab coat and carrying a clipboard and looked vaguely official, but it was Oliver "What exactly is the second in co blood?"

"Yeah, and aren't you needed pulling espresso at the coffee shop?" Shane added with a totally unnecessary edge of snark Oliver was often found behind the counter at the coffee shop, but he wasn't needed there He just liked doing it, and Shane knew that When you were as (presumably) rich and (absolutely) powerful a vampire as Oliver, you could do whatever you damn anted

"There's been flu going around," Oliver said, ignoring Shane's tone as he took out his supplies and laid them out on trays "I understand they're short staffed today Occasionally, I do pitch in"

Somehow that didn't quite feel like the whole story, even if it was true Claire eyed hi stool up beside her and tied the tourniquet in place on her upper arm, then handed her a red rubber ball to squeeze as he prepared the needle "I assuiven Shane's usual attitude" That was delivered with every bit as dry an edge as Shane's sarcasm, and Shane opened hisinto a stubborn line Good, she thought He was trying, at least