“She approves of your scent presence,” Drogar said, beaming. “You have natural creature magnetism. Not everyone has this. Traig doesn’t.”
“I don’t want it,” Traig said from the doorway.
Laina and I started laughing.
Laina directed her gaze to her mother as the twin dropped to its belly, settling on Carol’s back as if it was time to take a nap.
“How long must I remain in this position?” Carol asked, her voice strangled.
I scooped up the snugglethorn and tucked her under my arm, her legs dangling.
“I’ve got her,” I said.
Carol extracted herself from the cabinet with a smear of something on her left sleeve. She stood and smoothed her blouse.
“Well.” Her voice had gone breathless. She looked down at the twin, who was attempting to eat the front of her pants, and her face loosened. It wasn’t a smile, but close. “I suppose I understand why Laina finds some of this appealing.”
The twin butted her head against Carol’s arm.
“You’ll need to make sure she doesn’t escape again,” Carol said. “She could get hurt.”
“I’ll see to it myself,” Drogar said. “About the cleaning of your pants in a dry way…”
Carol glanced down. “Oh, I’m not worried about a little mud.”
“You’re not?” Laina asked.
“It won’t be the first time I’ve gotten dirty.” Carol stroked the snuggler’s face. “This little one didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
Laina’s eyes couldn’t widen any further. “We can spray your clothing when we get home.”
“Or throw the pants out,” Carol said. “I believe I need to wear darker clothing the next time I visit.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
BROVISH
Drogar looked between Laina and her mother, read Laina’s stunned expression, and took the twin from my arms.
“I’ll return her to her mother,” he said. “And I’ll examine the gate catch and fence.”
He carried the twin out into the hall. Laina followed, leaving me in the supply room with Carol.
Carol dried her hands with paper towels and placed them in the trash. Her gaze fell on the scattered cabinet contents.
“Someone will need to straighten that mess,” she said. “Throw it all out, I suppose. It’s a good thing Traig said this place was solvent.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Instead of following Laina, which I’d expected her to do, she remained inside the room, watching me. When I’d finished, she followed me down the hall to my office, even stepping inside and taking the chair across from my desk.
I worked. Or pretended to, wondering where this was going.
“You’re always writing in that notebook,” she said.
“Yes.”
“What do you write in it?”
