Page 17 of Waltzing With Witches

“We can do that,” I agree.

By lunchtime, we’ve dusted and vacuumed pretty much the entire first floor of the castle with the exception of the stunning library and the hall his command room stems from. The library will be a whole day on its own. It’s two full stories of books, floor to ceiling, each one covered in a thick layer of dust. When we opened the dramatic black curtains on the room’s only window, a bunch of moths flew out.

I’m not ready for moths.

Those dusty wings and creepy antennae are a hard pass for me.

A dirty rag hits my head, a cloud of dust blooming over my face. I suck it in and cough as it hits my lungs.

“Argh, Louuuu!” I shout, dragging out her name. I whirl in place and throw the towel back at her. “Who knows what kind of bacteria are on that towel at this point?”

Lou giggles and tosses the towel in the bucket, then places both hands behind her head, arching her back in a stretch. “I need lunch. Let’s go check out the beautifully clean kitchen and see if the Keeper has anything else in his fridge.”

“I don’t think there’s much,” I admit. “Or the castle probably would have offered more than a block of cheese.”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t come to say hi,” Lou says, her voice going dangerously tight as she crosses her arms.

“He probably won’t.” I grab her by the shoulders and spin her in place, shoving her up the hall toward the kitchen. “And that’s fine. That’s par for the course with us. I know what to expect there.”

“Why doesn’t he have food? I can’t eat air,” Lou moans. She’s headed for the dark side of hunger, where every sentence out of her mouth is laced with a five-year-old’s whine.

“I’m expecting company. I’ll have them bring groceries.”

Lou screams as we whirl in place.

Behind us, the Keeper stands in the hallway with a neutral expression on his face. I never fucking heard him arrive. How long has he been standing there? He lifts his hand and speaks into his comm watch, “Call Richard.”

Ruby eyes flick to me. Am I imagining his expression harden a bit? Shit. He probably heard the comment about how he ignores me and I’m fine with it. That feels…rude. But then again, he’s been rude to me from day one. I lift my chin and decide I don’t care.

Richard, the wolf shifter pack alpha, answers with a gruff, “Hello, Keeper.”

The Keeper’s eyes drift over my shoulder as he speaks into the tech, “Richard, I’ve got two houseguests who’d like to eat. Can you bring something from the bar?”

“Do these houseguests eat cheeseburgers?” Richard’s rough, low voice echoes out of the watch.

“Hells yes!” shouts Lou from my side.

His gaze moves to me, nostrils flaring slightly. I nod my agreement. Burgers sound fab.

The Keeper’s lips tip upward. “Affirmative.” Without another word, he clicks off, Richard’s hologram name disappearing from view. Silence stretches between us, his gaze traveling back to me. He gestures around the hallway. “You two have been busy, I see. Is this your idea of a thank you?”

Something about that statement makes me want to rip the smug smile right off his unfortunately handsome face.

“Yep!” Lou chirps. “But we’re also expecting thanks from you, because, to be frank, this place is a mess. Are all Keepers this sloppy?”

The edges of his lips twitch as he reaches up with one elegant hand, running it through pale slicked-back hair. “I don’t pay much attention to what other Keepers do. I’m sure the castle appreciates it, however.”

In response, all the strips of wallpaper curl off the wall and roll and unroll rhythmically.

“That’s a yes,” I deadpan.

He purses his lips. “I’m aware.”

When he says nothing else, my cheeks start to burn. Lou is a live wire of anticipation next to me. Oh, I do believe she’s enjoying this little standoff of sorts.

The Keeper jerks his head behind us. “Let’s head to the kitchen. I can make you both a drink, if you like. Also, I called your sisters.” Without waiting for a response, he strides past me and up the hall, giving me the perfect view of his taut, muscular ass in tight black slacks. Like always, he’s wearing a black turtleneck, but his hair is getting longer, trailing nearly to the tops of his shoulders in the back.

“Damn he has a nice ass,” Lou mutters. “Look how high and tight that thing is.”

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