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“Two guests just registered.” She hadn’t noticed any particular odor, but if the twins were competing at the sportsman’s show perhaps that meant they worked with dogs.

“It’s coming from over here.”

Rolling her eyes, Claire got up to peer over the counter at him.

“And it’s not dog.”

He was sniffing the spot where Reg, or possibly Ron, had stood to sign the register.

“Then what is it?”

“Werewolf.”

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WEREWOLVES?

THERE WOLVES. THERE CASTLE.

The silence that fell in the furnace room was the sort of anticipatory silence that fell just before a smack. In this particular case, it wasn’t so much a smack as total, all encompassing destruction.

The silence continued a moment longer, then a very small voice said, OW.

NINE

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“THE SEEPAGE IS BUILDING UP AGAIN.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, Claire pulled on a sock.“I can feel the buzz beginning.”

Austin yawned.“What’re you going to do about it.”

“I don’t know. I can stop the buzz by using it—which’ll make Hell happy—or I can endure it and go slowly nuts—which’ll also make Hell happy. There’s got to be an alternative.”

“I’ll let you know if I think of one.”

Claire rolled her eyes.“You do that”

“You going after the Historian this morning?”

Already halfway out the door, she threw an irritated,“What’s the point?” back over her shoulder.

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“Boss? You busy?”

Claire looked up from writingSmythe;junk on the outside of the sixth box of assorted odds and ends, mostly ends, she’d cleared from the sitting room. “Not exactly, no.”

“Can I talk to your?”

“I think I can spare a moment.” When he frowned, clearly considering the actual time he’d need, Claire sighed. “Figure of speech, Dean. What did you want to tell me?”

“Well, I was upstairs, wiping down the molding…”

She leaned slightly toward him, as though proximity would help the statement make more sense.“You were what?”

“Wiping down the molding. The trim around the doors,” he expanded with an indulgent smile when she continued to look confused. “It collects dust I didn’t get to it last week because of the renovations. Anyway, you know the two guys in room one; the twins?”

“The triplets.”

“Okay.”

Claire managed to rearrange her face into her most neutral expression.“What about them?”

“I don’t want to get them into trouble or anything, but they came in some late last night and I thought I heard it then, I just wasn’t sure.”

“Thought you heard what?”

“A dog.”

“A dog?” Moving quickly to the counter, Claire swept Austin up into her arms before he could say anything.

“Yeah. And just now, I’m pretty sure I saw half a muddy paw print. I mean, if they’re smuggling a dog into their room…”

Austin started to snicker.

“…we ought to say something when they come back tonight because it’s not necessary.”

“What isn’t necessary?” She shifted the cat’s weight. He was laughing so hard he was becoming difficult to hold.

“Hiding the dog. You don’t mind if they bring in a pet, do your?”

“No. I don’t.” Which was as much as she could manage with a straight face.

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“A dog?” The twins exchanged identical smiles. “No,” Ron continued, “we don’t have a dog.”

Dean frowned.“But I heard…” He faltered, caught and held by two pairs of frank gray eyes. They were telling the truth, he’d bet his life on it. “I guess maybe I didn’t.”

“You’re welcome to come up and search the room,” Reg offered.

“Any time,” Ron added suggestively, brows rising and falling.

“No, that’s okay.” Feeling a little like he’d missed the punch line of a joke everyone else found incredibly funny, Dean shrugged. “I, well, we, that is the hotel, wanted you to know we don’t mind animals in the rooms, that’s all.”

“Nice to hear. We’ll remember that…”

“…if we’re by this way again.”

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“What’s the lovely young man going to think of you when he finds out you’ve been lying to him?” Claire’s reflection asked.

“I haven’t been lying.” She’d switched to a clear lip gloss on those days she wasn’t able to use the mirror. It was faster than waiting to see what she was doing.

“You didn’t tell him about the vampire, you’re not telling him about the werewolves…” The reflection traced a dark red clown frown a quarter inch from her lips.

“But I’m not lying. If he asks…”

“And he’s so likely to ask, isn’t he? You promised, no more secrets.”

“These aren’t my secrets.”

“We think it’s sweet that you’re trying to protect him.”

Claire blinked, a little confused by the sudden change of topic.“What are you talking about?”

“You know. He’s just a kid. Let’s keep him safe. He’ll thank you for it later.”

No one did sarcasm quite like Hell.

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When the twins left later that morning, they took three trophies with them. Although he only saw them from a distance, all three seemed to have a figure of a dog as part of the design. Dean decided not to ask.

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“Boss, can I talk to you?”

Breathing heavily through her nose, Claire leaned out from behind her monitor.“What, again?”

“If this is a bad time…”