By the time the sun rose, the children were asleep again. Bram held one of the boys in each of his arms. Bijou carried Maria. They had already crossed the town, gone to the shop, and were coming upon the inn on the northern edge. Bram had searched and searched the inn for signs of any trouble, but had found nothing during the walk. He hoped his sight had been accurate as they approached the quiet, three story building in the first rays of the morning.

"Remember the story?" Bram asked in a whisper.

"I do," Bijou answered.

"Good. So head down and don't say much. Your accent stands out too much," Bram switched back to his broken French.

"Ah, that's nothin' to worry about." Bijou said, his manner of speaking suddenly as crude as Bram's but without the accent. "I was raised in an orphanage, I'll have you know. That posh talk is something I fake."

Bram watched Bijou out of the corner of his eye, his whole body humming wildly. He gave a curt nod.

They entered the inn, Bram first with the boys, then Bijou with Maria.

The first floor of the inn was empty of people in the early morning light except for a grumpy-looking innkeeper standing behind the counter eyeing them suspiciously. Bram glanced at Bijou nervously before hazarding a smile towards the innkeeper —all planned. The innkeeper shrugged his shoulders, shifting his massive form.

He was an alpha, and too big and too strong to be a simple innkeeper.

"G'morning, Sir," Bram said. "D'you have any rooms? Anything will do."

"We don't have any suites for a family," the innkeeper said simply, but not unkindly. "We have two rooms left. A single and a double."

Bram moved to look at Bijou. Bijou, to his credit, shrugged, playing along.

Turning back to the innkeeper, Bram lowered his head. "How much for the double?"

The innkeeper seemed to look them up and down before frowning and giving them the cost. Practice in keeping his face neutral was the only thing that saved Bram from reacting. The price wasn't for a double room, but for a single. Bijou had the grace to look relieved and shifted the sleeping Maria from one arm to the other to fish his purse out of his pocket. Bram watched as Bijou counted their meager coin to pay for the room and dropped it into the innkeeper's waiting hand. The innkeeper didn't bother to count the coin again. He simply put it away, found the key, and handed it over.

"Room's upstairs. Last door on the left."

"Thank'ye, Sir." Bram said and adjusted the boys.

The innkeeper gave a curt nod and then nodded them off. Taking the lead, Bram headed for the stairs.