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worry,” he reassured her. “She’s a werewolf. She prefers it that way.”
    Vicky looked back to her friend and nodded her head. It really did look as if Sue were enjoying the raw slivers of flesh.
    Darien finished washing up and turned to look at the werewolf then up to Vicky. “Keep an eye on her. I’m going to go call Rupert.”
    Vicky nodded as Darien left through the door to the foyer. Letting out a deep sigh, she turned to the coats stacked on the iron chair. “I’m going to put these up,” she informed Sue, picking up the pile of clothing and heading out to the closet. Hanging Darien’s suit coat on the end of the banister, she dropped her bag on the floor next to it.
    Once the rest of the outerwear was stashed in the hall closet, Vicky returned to the kitchen. The growl from her friend made Vicky stop just inside the door. Her eyes came to rest on the tense scene in front of her. Zak had wiggled in from the living room and was gurgling while staring at Sue’s bowl.
    “Zak!” Vicky reprimanded the small horror.
    Zak looked up at her and chirped.
    Vicky scooped him up and away from where Sue was eating. “That’s not for you.”
    Zak wiggled intently towards the raw meat.
    “If you’re hungry, I can get you something.” Taking the little fay over to the refrigerator, Vicky pulled the door open. She took out a package of sliced turkey and ripped it open.
    Zak’s wiggling ends were into the package and shifting the thin slices of meat into his sharp teeth before Vicky could set him back onto the floor. He consumed the entire stack of meat and started chewing on the plastic.
    “Bottomless pit,” Vicky grumbled as she found some more treats for the hungry fay. She dumped a packet of sausages out, and he nabbed them up before they could hit the ground.
    Sue watched from her bowl as Vicky passed bits of food to the hellhound.
    After a while, Vicky shut the door to the refrigerator. “You have had enough,” she complained, taking the many empty packages away from the little horror.
    Sue snickered and nosed her mostly empty bowl towards Zak.
    The little fay turned at the sound. Gurgling his appreciation, he wobbled over and buried his face into the remains of Sue’s dinner.
    Vicky just laughed at him. “Thank you, Sue.” Reaching down, she tugged on a few of Zak’s writhing feelers.
    The small fay gurgled his pleasure and licked the blood from the bowl.
    “Let’s go get you cleaned up.” Vicky held open the kitchen door so Sue could lead the way out and up the steps to the bathroom. Snagging her bag on the way past, Vicky dropped it in her room before following them in to the bathroom. “Would you like a bath or a shower?” Vicky asked the wolf.
    Sue hopped over the edge of the tub and sat down at the end away from the faucet.
    Vicky looked at her, confused. “Do you want to shift back, so you can relax?”
    Sue shook her head.
    Cocking her head in confusion, Vicky started the water running. In a few moments it was hot, so she plugged up the drain. “Bubbles?” Vicky offered the rose-scented soap to her friend.
    Sue let out a strange noise that sounded like laughter and shook her head.
    To Vicky’s surprise, Zak wobbled into the room, right over the edge of the tub, and into the water. She hadn’t expected him to come in and help. Darien tended to yell at the hellhound for joining her in the bath. “Okay.” Vicky said, confused. When Zak grabbed the brush she used on him and started running it over the bloody area on Sue’s back, Vicky figured out what was going on. “Let me get changed, and I’ll be right back to help.” She left Sue in Zak’s care as she went to change. Obviously, Sue was not in the mood to shift, and it would be much easier to help her friend wash away the blood if she didn’t have to worry about getting her work clothing wet.
     
    ***
     
    Darien lay back on his couch and studied the drifts of clouds painted on his ceiling. The phone call to Rupert had not gone as