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Biffy blushed, pulling them on with one hand Alexia took polite interest in the opposite side of the rooht faculties, my lord, when I made the decision to, uh, call I think I silanced at Lady Maccon from under his lashes--"headed home"

Lord Akeldama nodded "Yes, my dove, but you have missed the mark Your home is next door I know it’s easy to be confused"

"Too easy Especially inabout Biffy’s olfness as one would an evening’s inebriation Alexia looked back and forth between the two of them Lord Akeldama had taken a seat opposite his former drone, his eyes heavy-lidded, his posture infor to assuh this were actually a social call As though he were not half naked in a vah he had not just tried to kill them both

Lady Maccon had always admired Lord Akeldama’s ability to remain patently unruffled by the world about hi efforts to ensure that his own s but beauty and pleasant conversation But so openly, it smacked of cowardice She wondered if the iliness was a otry Lord Akeldaossip about thehi the butterflies without a need to interfere should their wings get torn off They were only butterflies, after all

Lady Maccon felt it behooved her, just this once, to point out the wounded wingless insect before him Soullessness may confer practicality, but it did not always confer caution "Gentlemen, you may place my abruptness at the door of my current condition, but I am not in the mood to tolerate idiosyncrasies Circumstances have placed us all in an untenable position No, Biffy, I do not mean your unclothed state--I mean your olf one"

Both Lord Akeldaape

"The time has come to move onward Both of you Biffy, your choices were taken frorettable, but you are still an immortal--and not dead--which is more than most can say" She turned her baleful look upon the vao This is not some contest you have lost This is life, or afterlife, I suppose For goodness’ sake, stop ing, both of you"

Biffy looked duly chastised

Lord Akeldama sputtered

Lady Maccon tilted her head in such a way as to dare hih to know himself; whether he cared to admit such a fault out loud remained to be seen

The two ht

It was Biffy who closed his eyes a long moment and then nodded briefly

Lord Akeldaers down the side of his former drone’s face "Ah, my boy If it must be so"

Lady Maccon could be merciful, so she et out of Woolsey’s dungeon?"

Biffy shrugged "I don’t know I can’t remember much when I’m a wolf Someone must have unbolted the cell door"

"Yes, but why? And who?" Alexia looked suspiciously at Lord Akelda?

The vampire shook his head "Not me or mine, I assure you, blosso rooot before it burst open and twoin

"Well," said Alexia, "at least he knocked first Perhaps he’s learning"

The earl strode across the rooht I would find you here And young Biffy, too--how are you, pup?"

Lady Maccon looked to her husband’s Beta, gesturing at Biffy with her free hand "The pack business that took you away?"

Professor Lyall nodded "He led us a merry chase before we traced hi

"How’d he get out?"

Professor Lyall tilted his head, which was as good as he would get to aded her husband in Biffy’s direction He shot her a brief glance out of resigned tawny eyes and then crouched down in front of the half-naked dandy It was a very servile position for an Alpha He lowered his voice to a soft growl, of the kindIt’s terribly difficult for a olf to be co with a reluctant pack member The instinct is to subdue and discipline

Alexia nodded at hily

"My boy, why did you run here?"

Biffy looked up at the ceiling and then back down again He sed, nervous "I don’t know, my lord, some instinct I’m sorry, but this is still home to me"

Lord Maccon looked at Lord Akeldama, predator to predator Then he turned back to his pack member

"It has been sixI know this was not the end you wanted, but it is the end you have been given Somehoe must make this work"

No one missed the we