How Much is That Doggie in the Window? [M]

[Zero]

@DragonSong

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

People owning other people...

The world was a sick, cruel place.

Not that the slavers counted Tobias as a real person. Then again, they didn't act as if any of the slaves they peddled were real people. Objects to be bought, sold, and traded. Just like with anything, some were more desirable then others, for various reasons.

He lost count of the number of pretty, frightened young women he watched be taken away. Some screamed, cried, and begged to be let go. Many sobbed and wept as they were dragged away by their leering masters - no doubt what their intended purpose would be. There were a few that shed a few silent tears, and some that seemed completely devoid of feeling.

What would a person have to have seen or gone through to become completely indifferent and numb to their situation?

There were very unremarkable and plain men and women, people sold as domestic slaves. He imagined they would ended up doing various tasks like cooking, cleaning, and so forth. There were some educated men and women - mostly bought to tutor the children of rich merchants and nobles.

Then you had those like Tobias. He was labelled to be exotic. After all, he wasn't even human. Who would buy a werewolf? Who thought they could control a werewolf? Collectors, mostly. Rich people with too much money on their hands that liked to show off rare and strange people and animals.

Tobias was considered both.

At least he was kept in a holding cell by himself. He was hardly in the mood for company, and the cries of the desperate and terrified were more than he could really take. His cell was remarkably clean, and he even had a pile of straw for a bed. Actually, he was rather clean as well - for a slave. They fed him well, mostly because he was pretty sure they were afraid he'd eat them if they didn't keep his belly full enough.

Idiots. He wasn't an animal.

Though Tobias sure felt like one sitting in his cell, just waiting for someone to come along and buy him like a new exotic pet.

[DragonSong]

"Really, Father," Tessa said, taking quick steps to keep up with Erik Varrys's long strides while simultaneously avoiding tripping on the hem of her own skirt. "I've told you, I don't need a bodyguard! It's not as though I'm in any real danger."

Her father didn't even glare at her over his shoulder as he normally would have at such a blatant lie. "There was a knife on your pillow this morning with a note telling me to drop my deal with the Connlaothian trader." Anger seethed under his tone and she swallowed; he really was worried.

"Grandstanding," she tried, "they'd never actually get away with anything."

"You don't know that!" He whirled on her suddenly, gripping her shoulders tight. Eyes flaring with a mad desperation, he ground out, "You and your mother are all I have. My business, the money, all of it means nothing is something happened to you." He let out a breath, releasing her to start walking again.

For a moment, she was frozen, still in shock. She pulled herself together quickly though, half running after him to catch up. They were in the slaver's quarters now, a rather seedy section of the city's market district. She clenched her eyes shut. Perhaps a bodyguard she could learn to live with- but one that had been bought like a new set of daggers made her feel physically ill. Her father had never purchased a slave before; all his employees were fairly paid servants or business partners. He'd always claimed a distaste for the institution, but now he said he needed someone whose loyalty went beyond a paycheck or even a sense of honor.

She hated being the reason he changed his convictions.

"Pardon me, sir." Erik flagged down one of the rather unsavory looking characters who seemed to be running the establishment. "I'm in need of...something in particular. Strong, smart, loyal. Am I in the right place?"

[Zero]

The particularly unsavory fellow happened to be known as Wilkes, and he was a roguish brute, to be sure. His eyes were dark, almost black as he turned them onto the pair. A smile that was more smirk crossed his lips as he raked his eyes over Tessa rather inappropriately before focusing on Erik - who obviously had the money.

"Are you looking for a slave or a dog? Because it sounds to me like what you really want is a dog. We've got strong, and we've got smart, but loyal is a rare commodity 'round here. I 'spose there's a well-broken in slave that could be considered loyal, or at least too afraid to do nothing about how much he hates your guts, but he'd be broken, which means he ain't going to be strong or smart anymore." Wilkes was all but sneering at this point - obviously he thought Erik was wasting his time.

"Wilkes, shush you. You're going to scare off the customers." A smaller, weaselly man appeared suddenly from nearby, smiling at Erik reassuringly. "You'll have to excuse him, we have to keep a rough sort around to keep the more unruly slaves in line, you understand? Now, you're wanting strong, smart, and loyal? Wilkes is right, it sounds like you want a dog! Which, fortunately for you, I have something that might suit just right. This way!"

He led them through the cells, some of which were rather crowded, until they reached a quiet cell on the end of the block. Tobias was sitting inside with his back to the cage, more or less ignoring them all and hoping they'd go away.

"Now here's a real treat, if you're willing to splurge just a little. Normally I would save such a fine specimen for a collector, but you wanted strong, smart, and loyal. I have the perfect solution, what you need is a werewolf. Stronger than an ox, make no mistake. Now, I'm afraid he's not educated, but smart is a relative term - he can follow orders, which is what's important. Right? Of course it is!" The man had barely paused to breath during his sales pitch.

"Now, loyal is a rather tricky request when it comes to slaves. Some can be a bit flighty or unpleasant, but they're also the ones most mistreated. You know? But if loyalty is what you want, well a werewolf is a man who's also part wolf and a wolf is just a wilder version of a dog, am I right? Of course I am. I do have to caution that this one here isn't exactly what we'd call broken. He's not trained yet. So you're going to have to handle all that yourself, but that's also the beauty of it at the same time - you've got a clean slate. I think he's just what you need. I'm sure a fine gentleman such as yourself will be able to win the loyalty of a slave with just a little effort."

The weaselly man glanced into the cage with a slight frown, but quickly went back to all smiles. Tobias hadn't moved or acknowledged them once during all that fast-talking. "So what do you say?"

[DragonSong]

Tessa zoned out for much of the sales pitch, eyes both drawn to and desperately trying to avoid the sad, terrified, or sometimes horrifically empty faces that stared at them as they were led through to the end of the block.

This is barbaric. She shuddered visibly, closing her eyes as though that would shut out the reality of what was happening around them. She only tuned back in when she heard the slaver's eager, "-what do you say?"

Her father took a deep breath. She groaned internally; she knew where this was going. "That seems...acceptable." He cleared his throat and began fiddling with his cuff links. Oh here we go... "I will of course need a detailed history provided. Now, about price-"

She rolled her eyes skyward. Even in business transactions far less objectionable than this, her father was shrewd and calculating with his coin. If this slaver tried to milk him, they were going to be here for hours.

Slowly, almost reluctantly but quite unable to stop herself, Tessa turned her attention to the figure in the cell. She swallowed, throat suddenly dry, and took a step closer. "Hello?" Her voice had a hesitant quality that was quite uncharacteristic of her. She coughed gently and tried again, a little more firmly: "Hello. What's your name?"

[Zero]

"A detailed...history?" The slaver cleared his throat uneasily. "Sir you have to appreciate how difficult it would be to acquire such information on a slave like this one..." And so the negotiations would begin.

Tobias really didn't care about the proceedings. What did he care if he was about to be bought? Well, he cared, because obviously he didn't want to be a slave, but since he was a slave it hardly seemed to matter to him if he was a slave in this cell or a slave somewhere else. That's all the transaction really meant to him - a change of scenery.

He hadn't attempted to even sneak a glance of his potential master, and the men's voices were ignored, but they were only talking about him, not to him. The feminine voice that tried to address him was much more difficult to ignore. At least to completely ignore.

It was very rude to ignore a lady. Especially one that was speaking to him.

"Does it matter? The man buys me and he can name me whatever he likes. The slavers are fond of calling me Dog, Mutt, Rover, and some others best left unsaid." He sighed heavily, nobody cared what a slave's name was. At least not from what he knew.

He still hadn't moved, not even to look at the person talking to him. Even sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs, Tobias was obviously a large man - both tall and muscular, though in a slightly lean sort of way.

[DragonSong]

Tessa bit her bottom lip, frowning. She couldn't blame him for it, but his apathy made her...sad. She took another step closer, wrapping slim fingers around the bars of the cell. Behind her, she heard her father's voice raise slightly, then even out again. Negotiations were proceeding fairly smoothly then.

"It matters to me," she said quietly. "Father may be the one buying you, but it's me you'll be...protecting, I suppose. And I'd like to know your name- not the one the slavers call you, but your real name. If you don't mind." She knelt to be closer to his level, heedless of the grime staining her dress. Mother would probably be furious, but she could worry about that later.

Her eyes flicked up and down his form; he was obviously big enough to be a guard, he could probably scare people away with bulk alone. But his curled stature, almost childlike, spoke of something gentle that she hoped hadn't been beaten out of him, could still be reached.

She tried an offer of faith, small as it was: "My name is Tessa."

[Zero]

Protecting.

So that was it, then? They hadn't seemed like collectors, certainly not with the way Saul had been talking, but he hadn't really decided what they had actually wanted him for. Not that it mattered. One job was much like another - except what they had made him do before.

Thank the gods he couldn't remember that very well. Mable had told him bits and pieces, but he hadn't wanted to know more. Just hearing the tidbits had turned his stomach.

Part of him wanted to ask her what made her even assume he had a real name. What if he'd been born a slave and the only names he'd known were those given to him trivially by his masters? Some of those here were like that, and he felt sorry for them. Or maybe in a way he envied them. They had always been slaves and so knew nothing else. Tobias knew what it was like to be free - and even more than that his wolf did not like the idea of being caged or owned.

No wolf would.

"Tobias." The name came out quietly, and somewhat grudgingly. Why should he bother saying more? Why bother volunteering even that much? These people were not his friends. They were not good people - the girl could offer him honey but he knew to anticipate the sting.

[DragonSong]

"Tobias," she repeated. Then she sighed, glancing back at her father and the slaver. "I wish I could say it's nice to meet you, but I think that would be a disservice to us both. You more than me, admittedly." She looked back to the werewolf, pursing her lips and frowning. "Look, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I just- I want you to know if this was my choice-"

Before she could finish her rather fumbling and pointless excuses her father's voice cut across with, "Tessa. Come on, we're going to look elsewhere."

She stood quickly, surprised. It had sounded like a done deal, from the snippets she'd actually paid attention to. "Really? Why?" She didn't want to be here at all- the idea of being trundled cell to cell while trying not to feel the pain of this place did not appeal to her.

Erik Varrys let out a sharp breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look," he said, turning slightly to not-quite-address the man in the cell, "I'm sure you're a very capable young man, but I don't think I can trust a wolf to protect my daughter. Even with the best of intentions and under the best circumstances, you-" here he turned to address the slaver again- "cannot guarantee he won't lose control."

Irritation, guilt, helplessness, and a sudden and irrational urge to hit something swamped her. "You know, seeing as I'm the one he'll be spending the most time with, I feel I should have some say in the matter." In her best business voice, she turned to face the slaver, arms folded firmly across her chest. She didn't know why this was suddenly so important to her- maybe because she'd talked to him, maybe because she saw something indefinable in those brown-gold eyes that refused to break- but she knew she had to do something.

"How much?"

[Zero]

It was hard not to find her words irritating. Tobias would rather she not try to pretend to be nice when she might own him shortly. Maybe he was just being bitter and wanted them to be mean to him to prove his point.

Tobias was actually surprised when the man seemed to decide against purchasing him and tried to collect his daughter to leave. His head tilted and turned so that he could look up at Erik from where he huddled, brown-gold eyes weary as he listened to Tessa's father explain why he felt that a werewolf was a bad choice for protecting his daughter.

The man had valid concerns.

It felt strange to him that the girl that didn't even know him would suddenly push to buy him after her father had already decided not to.

Saul opened his mouth to reply but Tobias quickly cut the slaver off.

"I am not a fucking animal, so stop acting like I'm some dog that could go rabid at any moment. I have never in my life ever wanted to hurt anyone. And if we're being perfectly honest a wolf is far more trustworthy than a human. Humans lie, cheat, steal, and murder. Wolves are simple - they kill for two reasons - food and defense. So either get me out of this cage or stop insulting me and leave."

The slaver was staring at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed by now in shock. Admittedly, Tobias had said very little since being stuck in his cell, but if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was being treated like some mindless, dangerous beast.

He wasn't the beast. He wasn't.

[DragonSong]

There was a moment of pure silence, mostly from the shock of his outburst. But Tessa was her father's daughter, and nothing if not adaptable.

"He makes a good point," she said airily, trying her damnedest to pretend this was some normal trader she was dealing with and she wasn't buying a person. "And I think it really should be my decision, when it comes down to it." She tossed a sheet of shining black hair over her shoulder, suddenly thankfully she'd managed to convince her mother to let her wear it down for once- as Erik always said, sometimes what could make or break a good deal was the impression you made.

And she could be quite impressive if she put her mind to it. She was quite tall, she knew she was pretty, and she'd been told she had "piercing" eyes (whatever that meant); with a firm mouth and an arched brow those factors could be turned easily in her favor. "I believe this should cover it," she said, reaching into the purse at her hip to extract some coins.

"Celestia Rose-" her father began hotly.

"I am not a child," she snapped, not even bothering to face him. Then she winced internally. Oh damn, she was going to pay for that later. But she couldn't seem to help herself. "Here- Saul, was it?" She tipped some coins into the slaver's hand. "A pleasure doing business with you." She gave him the winning smile her Manners and Decorum tutor had drilled into her. "Now if you'd be so kind..." She gestured toward the cell, maintaining the facade of disinterested businesswoman as best she could.

And desperately ignoring the holes her father was glaring into her back.

[Zero]

Tobias wasn't sure if he had been trying to really help or hurt his case. After all, he didn't want to be bought by anyone. Then again, he didn't want to stay in the cell either. His wolf was going stir crazy with the inability to run.

The slaver miraculously recovered from the shock as soon as coins appeared. Though he glared into the cell at Tobias angrily. Slaves weren't supposed to speak out of turn, let alone speak harshly to the customers. If Tessa hadn't dumped the gold into his palm, Saul probably would have punished him once the pair had left.

So maybe thankful he was leaving.

Saul made the money disappear into his pockets quickly before Erik could cancel the whole deal, then he nodded his head to Tessa with a rather unsettling grin. "A fine young lady that knows what she wants. You won't be disappointed with your purchase. Like I told your father, he just needs a bit of training, maybe some breaking to clean up that tone he gave you, mm?"

Either way, the weasel unlocked the cell and Tobias uncurled himself, which was a task, since he was stiff from remaining like that so long.

It was hard to contain the wolf inside him as he stepped out of the cell.

The animal was practically ready to burst from excitement and a desire to take off at the first opportunity. Erik need worry less about him mauling Tessa and more about the wolf simply running away.

Tobias suppressed that urge for now. There were far too many guards in the market. With so many slave traders to get in his way to freedom someone would undoubtedly end up hurt. Which was the last thing he really wanted, so instead he stretched a little and looked down at the woman that bought him curiously.

"So why do you need protection, anyway?" Probably not the submissive demeanor and tone expected of a slave.

[DragonSong]

Holy... Tessa was not a small woman, but her new guard positively towered over her. She looked up to meet his eyes, unaccustomed to having to crane her neck to do so.

No wonder royalty and the like preferred high thrones. Something about the act of tilting her head back just to see him properly made her feel smaller than she really was.

"Father has been having some...issues with rival businesses lately," she answered his question. Her eyes flickered toward the slaver meaningfully and she added, "I'd rather not discuss the details here, if you don't mind." She reached up to fiddle with the silver teardrop that dangled from her left ear, a nervous habit. "Well, um...we left the carriage back on Market Street. Ah, this way..." She turned, intending to head off.

And nearly ran smack into her father's chest. She stifled a gulp and smiled slightly, the tiny, little-girl smile that used to get her extra sweets after dinner.

He wasn't having it. But she knew he wouldn't want to cause a scene- that would be bad for his reputation- so he simply settled with a glare and a curt, "Come along then, Celestia," before turning on his heel and heading back toward the market district.

"Shit," she swore softly under her breath. He'd used her full name. "I am in so much trouble..."

[Zero]

Tobias was used to looking down at people, since he was usually the tallest person in a room or crowd, but having to look down to meet people's eyes was far different from looking down on them. His new owner was actually fairly tall for a woman.

Nine years ago he'd have been surprised to hear that a young woman might need protection from business rivals - her own or her father's - but that was before he'd left his little village, before he'd seen how dark and cruel the world and people could be. Man, he really had been an ignorant little country bumpkin, hadn't he?

"Sure..." Tobias was really kind of looking at Erik now, the man looked less than thrilled, to be sure. Would he put his foot down and send him back into that cell? He'd much rather go home with these people, he could escape from a house a lot easier than the cell.

With not much else that he could do, Tobias followed along behind his new young mistress, actually laughing softly at her words, which he was pretty sure she didn't mean for anyone to hear, but wolves had very good hearing.

[DragonSong]

Tessa glanced back at the soft chuckle, feeling her cheeks color slightly. Oops. That hadn't been very ladylike. In an effort to make up for her slip she straightened her spine and walked with quick, mincing steps, once again exerting an effort to keep up with her father's longer strides.

They reached the carriage fairly quickly; she wasn't sure whether she should thank all things holy that they were out of the slaves' market or curse her luck that soon enough she'd have to really face Erik's wrath.

"Hello, Sir, Miss Tessa," their driver, Jacobi, said as they approached. His eyes flicked over them to their new companion and the lines on his face tightened slightly. "I see you got what you came for."

"Yes," her father said curtly, climbing into the carriage without another word. Tessa swallowed, hard. She hated the fact that he could make her feel like a little girl caught stealing biscuits from the kitchen.

"You gettin' in, Miss?" Jacobi's voice prompted her from her reverie. His eyes, outlines by years of laugh lines, glimmered with a spark of mischief. He may not no the details, but he knew she was in trouble.

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him with difficulty. "Your glee at my misfortune is unbecoming, Jake," she informed him primly, taking the first step up into the carriage- then glancing back at Tobias to say, "Oh, you can ride where ever you want. There's room in here, but if you'd rather sit up front with Jake I'm sure he won't mind."

[Zero]

Why the look? Tobias could only duck his head and stare at the ground after receiving what he assumed was a disapproving look from the carriage driver. Perhaps he wasn't going to be a popular addition to the household.

Eh, what did he care? He was bailing at the first good opportunity.

It only took a glance at Tessa's father for him to make up his mind where he'd rather sit. He definitely did not want to be stuck in any confined space with those two just then. "Yeah, only a fool jumps into a boiling pot, lass. I think I'll take my chances up front."

Without further prompting he climbed up to the driver's seat, making sure to sit near the edge to give this Jake fellow as much room as possible. Hopefully the man would get over whatever dislike he had for him. Else this was going to be an unbearable ride no matter where he sat.

[DragonSong]

Tess couldn't blame him for his choice- she didn't exactly want to be around her father right now either. With a nod and a mockingly stern, "Jake, you be nice," she stepped fully into the carriage. She thought she heard Jake grumbling something about never expected Master Varrys to buy slaves in his day, no sir, but then her attention was more focused on her father.

He was glaring. She sat across from him as the carriage lurched into motion, fixing her skirts and fiddling with her earring. "Alright," she sighed after she could take the seething silence no longer, "let me have it."

"You are a foolish child."

She sighed again, closing her eyes.

"You disobey simply for the thrill of doing so," her father continued angrily. She winced slightly- there was no way Jake and Tobias couldn't hear his tirade. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if innocent passerby could hear him. "Your juvenile spite for this outing will have further repercussions than you realize, Celestia! And your actions do not only affect yourself, they-"

"Affect the Varrys name and household," she recited with him. "Yes, Father, I know. But I didn't buy him to spite you, or as some childish act of disobedience, despite what you may believe."

"Really?" Erik arched an eyebrow dangerously. "Then why?"

Tessa opened her mouth, fully intending to answer...and realized she didn't know why. she shook her head, settling back in her seat and looking at her hands clasped in her lap. "I don't know," she said softly after a moment. "I just...I couldn't not do it. I couldn't just leave him there..."

Her father sighed heavily. "Rosie..." he said quietly. "I understand. I do. I know you would have bought them all if you could just to get them out of there. But despite our personal objections to the institution, the fact remains that slavery is a part of our lives here. You cannot let a feeling heart override good sense."

She looked away from him, out the window, as he continued his lecture. His voice was softer now, cajoling rather than abrasive. She tuned him out, closing her eyes and letting her forehead rest against the wall of the carriage. You cannot let a feeling heart override good sense.

It was practically the Varrys motto.

[Zero]

It was hard not to wince as the poor girl was berated by her father over him. Maybe he didn't like the idea of being someone's property, but he still felt bad for her. People that bought slaves were generally lumped into a certain category in his mind of not being good people, and he'd held suspicion of her attempts to be nice to him, but she didn't seem like a bad person. Neither of them really did.

Even his wolf seemed to feel they weren't bad, and the animal had a nose for that sort of thing.

He sighed heavily, wondering how unpleasant things were going to be for him later. Tobias still anticipated being sent back to the cell. Well he'd definitely run before that could happen. He wasn't going back in a cage.

"If everyone likes me this much this is going to be just great." There werewolf grumbled softly. Well, it wasn't as if he wanted them to like him.

[DragonSong]

The remainder of the carriage ride passed in stony silence. Tessa couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped her as she they rattled through the manor gates and Jake halted the horses with a deep, "Whoa there, boys," in front of the steps that led to the front door.

Erik exited without a word to her. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one, so she waited a moment before following him out. She wandered to the head of the massive grey draft tethered to the left side of the carriage. "Thanks, Sugar," she told the gelding, patting his neck and fishing a mint candy out of her purse to feed him.

The other gelding- also a grey, though not quite as big- shoved his head against her shoulder. She chuckled and fed him a candy as well, saying, "Yes, yes, I know. I didn't forget you, Pip."

"You spoil them," Jake told her as he jumped down from the driver's seat and joined her at the horses' heads, starting to unharness them.

She gave him a small smile. "Can't help it. Look at those big, brown eyes." She planted a soft kiss on each animals' muzzle, then turned to see if Tobias had joined them on the ground. "I suppose we'd better go in," she said with a smile that she convinced herself was only half forced.

[Zero]

Silence was no stranger to him, more often than not Tobias enjoyed silence. Though it wasn't really silent. The noises of the city grated on his nerves. How he longed for the gentle rush of river water, the water wheel creaking as the current turned it at the mill to grind grain for flour. Given how long it had been, he marveled that he could still even recall the sounds and smells of home.

How he wished he could go back there, but that was impossible. There was nothing left of the tiny fishing village he'd grown up in. Tobias couldn't help but feel that was at least partially his fault.

All of that was momentarily forgotten as they passed through the gates to the "house" his new "mistress" lived in. It was bigger than all the little shacks and cabins from his village combined. He bet a bedroom here was bigger than the house he was born in.

When they came to a stop he jumped down, brown-gold eyes darting around to memorize the layout of the front grounds. The gate could easily be scaled, but what he needed was a good place to run to, if he could make it to the forest without making much contact with people then he'd be in the clear. Surely they'd never find him then.

...of course they'd managed to capture him to begin with. Something he was quite loathe to admit had been entirely his own stupidity.

Tessa drew his attention back to her as he calmly leveled his eyes at her. He could practically feel the tension coming off her, and her smile seemed fake, but he supposed if he was in trouble with his father he'd have been tense too.

"Lead the way, lass. I'm apparently at your disposal now. That's how this works, right?" Tobias would follow her for now. He had to formulate an escape plan before he tried to get away.

[DragonSong]

Tessa's heart gave a guilty sort of lurch. "Yes, I suppose that is how it works," she said softly. Then she physically shook herself and said, "Alright then." She turned and walked up the stairs, hoisting her heavily embroidered skirts up into the air to avoid tripping and falling on her face. What an impression that would make.

"Father's not angry at you, you know," she said, feeling like she should say something. "He's just irritated I made a decision based on emotion rather than business sense." She pushed the door open before the steward could get there, which made the short old man exclaim, "Miss Tessa, please-!"

"Oh, hush, Lionel," she said with a smile. "You let Father in, didn't you?"

Lionel scowled. "Yes, but-"

Before he could get anything else out her attention- and probably the attention of just about everyone on the street- was drawn by Erik Varrys bellowing, "I've had a long day and I need some womanly comfort!"

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Oh gods..."

"Keep your hair on, I'm coming." That voice, smooth and melodious, belonged to Nateri Varrys, who came gliding down the center stairs that led into the foyer of the manor. Her cocoa skin was smooth and unlined despite her age, coal black hair swept up into a fantastic confection of a bun at the top of her head. She smiled when she saw her husband and daughter, moving toward them with the easy grace of reeds bowing in the wind. "Hello, darlings," she said, stepping into Erik's embrace. "I trust your outing was successful?"

Erik made a grunting sound of annoyance and- without further ado- dipped her back into a prolonged, theatrical kiss.

Tessa groaned dramatically, raising a hand to "shield her eyes". The maid that had followed her mother down the stairs giggled, and Lionel and another footman who had entered to see what the commotion was whistled and clapped.

She turned to the werewolf with a slightly embarrassed smile. "Welcome to the Varrys household, Tobias."