Page 8 (1/2)

Alexia thought she spotted the real source of her husband’s concern "If Biffy becomes a loner, you don’t believe he would survive Do you?"

"Loners are unstable They brawl constantly Our new pup is not a fighter, not like that" Her husband’s lovely eyes were pained and guilty This mess with Biffy was his fault Unintentionally his fault, but Lord Conall Maccon was not the kind of gentleman who shifted blame merely because they were all victims of circumstance

Alexia took a breath and then dove for the kill "Then you really should give him to me for a while I’ll see what I can do Reoes to wolf" She wiggled ungloved fingers at her husband

"Very well, wife But you are to check in with either ress"

As the earl said this, Professor Lyall wandered into the dining roo self--his sandy hair neatly co expression; his deettable It was an aura that Alexia was beginning to suspect Professor Lyall had cultivated for decades

"Good evening, my lady, my lord" The Beta assumed his seat

A ’s paper Professor Lyall was the type of man to have that kind of relationship with the domestic staff Even newly hired and after only a day’s residence, they were already providing exactly what he required without need for any ti orders Between hile upset in the running of the Maccon household It was a good thing, too, for the indos to occupy her ti of her household was best left to the gentleh, she did indicate to the maid that she, too, required tea

"Professor Lyall, how are you this evening?" Alexia saw no reason why faht to breed familiarity of h she had been living, off and on, a the Woolsey Pack for almost a year, she never relaxed on courtesy

"Tolerably well, my lady, tolerably well" Nor, indeed, did Professor Lyall, as remarkably civilized for a olf and seeracefulness of manner

Now that she had both of them at her table, Lady Maccon directed the tolves back onto the weightycoe," complained the earl

Professor Lyall shook his head

"Must be the vampires," said Lord Maccon

"Now, husband, ould you say that?"

"Isn’t it always the vampires?"

"No, so obliquely to the disbanded Hypocras Club "And so of the Templars "And sometimes it’s the olves"

"Well, I say!" Lord Maccon stuffed another cutlet into histhe va to kill you for months"

"Oh, Conall, do s first Then speak What kind of exah trying to see if the little being had so at hi its behavior upon his

Lady Maccon continued "Si toto murder the queen as well, now, does it? One would think their resources would be so else Besides, what could possibly be their ressive" She was ht your lot was supposed to have long , Professor Lyall, but didn’t the last air Pack?"

"Really, Lady Maccon, couldn’t it wait until I’ve at least finished my first cup of tea?" The Beta looked put upon

Alexia said nothing

Professor Lyall put down his tea pointedly "There was that overeager Pate felloith the walking stick soo or so Co behavior And there was that disgruntled Irishman with the unloaded pistol before that" He helped hi of s in "And the reputed incident a few years back with John Brown" The Beta considered his kipper as though it held all the answers "Come to think on it, they’ve all been reers, the lot of them"

Alexia puffed out her cheeks "You knohat I mean Those were all isolated incidents I mean planned cohesive plots backed by serious intent"

The maid reappeared with more tea and an extra cup for Lord Maccon Who sneered at it

Professor Lyall’s face sobered "Then, no, Kingair was the last"

A delicate subject, indeed, as Kingair was Lord Maccon’s forhastly deed He had killed his Beta and e for Woolsey as a result Like politics, or personal dressing habits, this was not proper meal-time conversation

Professor Lyall, a man of much delicacy, seemed to find the subject particularly uncomfortable After all, Woolsey had ultimately benefited from the assassination attempt Their previous Alpha was reputed to be a man of petty disposition and profound temper, and Lord Maccon was considered one of the better olf leaders The best, if Alexia had anything to say on the subject Which she did Often

The bell sounded in the front entranceway, and Professor Lyall glanced up gratefully There came a rumble of voices as Floote answered the door Alexia couldn’t make out who it was, but her husband and his Beta had olf hearing and their reactions--a slight save her a pretty decent idea

"Peaches!" Lord Akeldama wafted in on a wave of Bond Street’s best ponancy had had a strange effect on her sense of setting some limited idea of hoolves felt with their supernatural abilities in that arena

The vaht yelloaistcoat only one or two shades darker than his hair, paused in the doorway "Isn’t this delightfully cozy? How perfectly splendid that I can sirave; la table!"

"And how nice that you are not a hive queen to be so entirely confined to your own hoestured for the va out his napkin and placing it in his lap, although he would, everyone knew, take no food

Professor Lyall tilted his head at the teapot When Lord Akeldama nodded, the Beta poured him out a cup "Milk?"

"Lemon, if you would be so kind"

Lyall raised his eyebrows in shock but signaled one of the ht most vampires didn’t tolerate citrus"